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November 27th, 2011:

Environmental tobacco smoke in outdoor areas: a rapid review of the research literature.

Nov 27th, 2011
by Editor.
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Executive Summary
Restrictions on smoking outdoors have been introduced for reasons of public
amenity and to promote litter reduction. This review considers the evidence about
whether outdoor secondhand smoke (SHS) might also pose health risks to others.
Six published studies have assessed outdoor levels of SHS using metred PM2.5 as a
marker of exposure. The magnitude of PM2.5is dependent on the number of smokers
present, proximity of the measurement device to the source of the SHS, the extent
to which the outdoor space is physically constrained (e.g., walls, partial roof,
umbrellas), and wind. The data show peak outdoor PM2.5 levels in semi‐enclosed
areas with several smokers present can be comparable to those recorded in indoor
smoky environments. However, outdoor PM2.5 levels are more transient as the
smoke plume is less confined and can rapidly dissipate.
SHS can be a major source of PM2.5, particularly in indoor environments. The average
PM2.5 level in bars where smoking occurs is 303 μg/m3 and 157 μg/m3 in restaurants.
Because of repeated and cumulative exposure to SHS in outdoor settings like beer
gardens and outdoor eating areas, occupational exposures to PM2.5 from SHS are
likely to be far higher than those experienced by patrons who are present for far
shorter periods. We estimate that occupational exposure to SHS in waitstaff working
in outdoor patio areas where smoking is allowed could average 1.6 to 9.8 μg/m3 per
year. It is thus plausible that occupational exposure to PM2.5 in outdoor work
settings where smoking is allowed could exceed the Australian National Environment
Protection Measure for Ambient Air Quality benchmark annual average target of
8μg/m3 .
An increase of 5μg/m3 to 10 μg/m3 in average annual PM2.5 exposure is associated with
a 3‐6% increase in all‐cause mortality.
Personal monitoring studies have not yet been conducted to corroborate modelled
estimates of staff exposure in these settings. Such studies should be conducted to
test the modelled exposure estimates we have calculated.

Executive SummaryRestrictions on smoking outdoors have been introduced for reasons of publicamenity and to promote litter reduction. This review considers the evidence aboutwhether outdoor secondhand smoke (SHS) might also pose health risks to others.Six published studies have assessed outdoor levels of SHS using metred PM2.5 as amarker of exposure. The magnitude of PM2.5is dependent on the number of smokerspresent, proximity of the measurement device to the source of the SHS, the extentto which the outdoor space is physically constrained (e.g., walls, partial roof,umbrellas), and wind. The data show peak outdoor PM2.5 levels in semi‐enclosedareas with several smokers present can be comparable to those recorded in indoorsmoky environments. However, outdoor PM2.5 levels are more transient as thesmoke plume is less confined and can rapidly dissipate.SHS can be a major source of PM2.5, particularly in indoor environments. The averagePM2.5 level in bars where smoking occurs is 303 μg/m3 and 157 μg/m3 in restaurants.Because of repeated and cumulative exposure to SHS in outdoor settings like beergardens and outdoor eating areas, occupational exposures to PM2.5 from SHS arelikely to be far higher than those experienced by patrons who are present for farshorter periods. We estimate that occupational exposure to SHS in waitstaff workingin outdoor patio areas where smoking is allowed could average 1.6 to 9.8 μg/m3 peryear. It is thus plausible that occupational exposure to PM2.5 in outdoor worksettings where smoking is allowed could exceed the Australian National EnvironmentProtection Measure for Ambient Air Quality benchmark annual average target of8μg/m3 .An increase of 5μg/m3 to 10 μg/m3 in average annual PM2.5 exposure is associated witha 3‐6% increase in all‐cause mortality.Personal monitoring studies have not yet been conducted to corroborate modelledestimates of staff exposure in these settings. Such studies should be conducted totest the modelled exposure estimates we have calculated.

Download PDF : OutdoorSmokingReview%282010%29

A Holiday Without Cigarettes: Smoking Ban To Hit Bali

Nov 27th, 2011
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http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&gl=au&tbm=nws&btnmeta_news_search=1&q=cigarettes&oq=cigarettes&aq=f&aqi=d1d-o1&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=346319l350120l0l350995l10l10l0l7l0l0l263l677l0.1.2l3l0

The advertisement and sale of cigarettes is also forbidden in these areas. Breaching this new bylaw carries a maximum sanction of six months imprisonment or …

Environmental tobacco smoke in outdoor areas: a rapid review of the research literature.

Nov 27th, 2011
by Editor.
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http://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/handle/2123/7914

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/2123/7914
Title: Environmental tobacco smoke in outdoor areas: a rapid review of the research literature.
Authors: Chapman, Simon
Hyland, Andrew
Keywords: smoking
tobacco
secondhand smoke
environmental tobacco smoke
outdoor
review
Issue Date: 25-Nov-2011
Abstract: Restrictions on smoking outdoors have been introduced for reasons of public amenity and to promote litter reduction. This review considers the evidence about whether outdoor secondhand smoke (SHS) might also pose health risks to others. Six published studies have assessed outdoor levels of SHS using metred PM2.5 as a marker of exposure. The magnitude of PM2.5is dependent on the number of smokers present, proximity of the measurement device to the source of the SHS, the extent to which the outdoor space is physically constrained (e.g., walls, partial roof, umbrellas), and wind. The data show peak outdoor PM2.5 levels in semi-enclosed areas with several smokers present can be comparable to those recorded in indoor smoky environments. However, outdoor PM2.5 levels are more transient as the smoke plume is less confined and can rapidly dissipate. SHS can be a major source of PM2.5, particularly in indoor environments. The average PM2.5 level in bars where smoking occurs is 303 µg/m3 and 157 µg/m3 in restaurants. Because of repeated and cumulative exposure to SHS in outdoor settings like beer gardens and outdoor eating areas, occupational exposures to PM2.5 from SHS are likely to be far higher than those experienced by patrons who are present for far shorter periods. We estimate that occupational exposure to SHS in waitstaff working in outdoor patio areas where smoking is allowed could average 1.6 to 9.8 µg/m3 per year. It is thus plausible that occupational exposure to PM2.5 in outdoor work settings where smoking is allowed could exceed the Australian National Environment Protection Measure for Ambient Air Quality benchmark annual average target of 8µg/m3 . An increase of 5µg/m3 to 10 µg/m3 in average annual PM2.5 exposure is associated with a 3-6% increase in all-cause mortality. Personal monitoring studies have not yet been conducted to corroborate modelled estimates of staff exposure in these settings. Such studies should be conducted to test the modelled exposure estimates we have calculated.
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2123/7914
Appears in Collections: Research Papers and Publications. Public Health

Australian Fund Invested in Tobacco Stocks!

Nov 27th, 2011
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http://madmarkets.wordpress.com/2011/03/24/22-march-2011-australian-fund-invested-in-tobacco-stocks/

Bloomberg News had a stunning win this week, which was just hilarious.

Australia, the country that all South Africans love to hate, has some of the toughest anti-smoking laws in the world. Australia raised tobacco taxes by 25 per cent last year and says it will become the first nation to ban brand names on cigarette packaging to deter smokers. Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd last April pledged the government would spend $85 million on an anti-smoking advertising campaign with the slogan “cigarettes are not cool.”

Now, the Australian government has a thing called The Future Fund, which was established in 2006 to cover the pension costs of retiring parliamentarians, lawmakers, judges and public servants.

Anyway, Bloomberg did some ferreting around, and discovered that the Future Fund held stakes in 14 tobacco companies as of December 31, 2010, worth $147.7 million. Including a major position in British American Tobacco! Hypocrites!

At first glance, it would appear that our PIC does not own a significant the stock in its direct R900 million portfolio. Chances are that it does own shares in the funds which it pushes out to external asset managers. Remember that anyone who held the old Remgro group company got British American Tobacco shares in the unbundling in 2008.

Why am I so negative about tobacco shares? In particular British American Tobacco seems to be doing rather well, paying good dividends, and expanding in Asia. Their balance sheet is a fit as a fiddle. The health of customers is a more tricky issue, of course. The company does now concede that “cigarette smoking is a cause of serious and fatal diseases”.

They are diversifying their product range. For example, they are working on a smokeless tobacco product called snus, which is inserted between the gum and upper lip allowing nicotine, tobacco extract and flavours to be absorbed through the oral mucosa. Does that sound tasty?

Why would you want to give those guys your savings to work with? Seriously!?

The Government Pension Fund of Norway

Nov 27th, 2011
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Government_Pension_Fund_of_Norway

The Ethical Council

Part of the investment policy debate is related to the discovery of several cases of investment by The Petroleum Fund in highly controversial companies, involved in businesses such as arms production and tobacco. The Petroleum Fund’s Advisory Council on Ethics was established 19 November 2004 by royal decree. Accordingly, the Ministry of Finance issued a new regulation on the management of the Government Petroleum Fund which also includes ethical guidelines.

On 19 January 2010 the Ministry of Finance announced that 17 tobacco companies had been excluded from the fund.[9] The total divestment from these companies was USD 2bn (NOK 14.2bn), making it the largest divestment caused by ethical recommendations in the history of the fund.[10]

Fiscal versus social responsibility: how Philip Morris shaped the public funds divestment debate

Nov 27th, 2011
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2596576/

Sydney city’s secret ring of illegal smoke sales

Nov 27th, 2011
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http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-citys-secret-ring-of-illegal-smoke-sales/story-e6freuy9-1226206807890

smokes

Up in smoke: Bronwen Gora buys illegal cigarettes from a kiosk. Picture: Anthony Reginato Source: The Daily Telegraph

CHEAP duty free cigarettes are being sold illegally in the CBD for as little as $8 a packet – half the cost of a regular brand.

The sellers are risking 10 years behind bars and hefty tax fines by flogging the under-the-counter smokes at news and magazine kiosks on George St.

Brands range from established labels to overseas names.

The Sunday Telegraph was last week able to buy a range of popular brands that had been imported from China, Korea and Hong Kong.

Most had “for duty free sale only” written on the side. Some had health warnings but no graphic pictures.

The trade in smuggled duty free cigarettes from other countries has doubled in the past six months, according to one of the large tobacco companies.

Popularity of illegal loose-leaf tobacco _ referred to as “chop chop’ was falling as demand for more convenient ready-made cigarettes rose, a spokesperson for British American Tobacco Australasia (BATA) said.

Rising quantities of illegal duty free cigarettes are another blow to the tobacco industry which faces the reality of plain packaging laws.

All cigarettes will be sold in olive-brown packs emblazoned with health warnings from December next year. Police are more likely to seize illegal tobacco at import level said Simon Chapman, professor of public health at the University of Sydney.

The large scale Operation Polaris, a joint effort by NSW and Federal Police, Customs and Border Protection Service and the NSW Crime Commission last month cracked a major tobacco smuggling ring.

More than 60 tonnes of illegal tobacco and 25 million counterfeit cigarettes were seized in Sydney and two men charged with bribery, dealing in proceeds of crime, and obtaining financial advantage by deception.

But fewer prosecutions occurred at retail level, BATA’s anti illicit trade manager Barry Wilson said, as illegal tobacco was so hard to track once it slipped through the net into circulation.