ASH Daily News for 07/10/2005
HEADLINES
ASH, 102 Clifton Street, LONDON, EC2A 4HW.
Tel 020 7739 5902 Fax 020 7613 0531
ASH Daily News
7 October 2005
[View html version: http://www.globalink.org/nbuk]
HEADLINES
DCMS backs comprehensive ban: UK
Biodegradable cigarette filters developed in UK
BAT quits Formula One
Artery damage caused to foetuses by pregnant women smoking
Smoking sheep sets the flock ablaze: Germany
FULL TEXT
DCMS backs comprehensive ban: UK
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has recommended to
the Government that it should go for a comprehensive ban on smoking.
The move comes after widespread opposition from both inside and outside
the hospitality industry over Department of Health plans to limit the
ban to pubs that serve food.
Nick Bish, Chief Executive of the Association of Licensed Multiple
Retailers said that final decision on the content of the bill will
probably rest with the Primer Minister.
In related news London and Edinburgh Inns have apparently set aside
money to fight smoking bans in Scotland which come into effect next
March. The operator wants to convert its outlets in Scotland to members'
clubs with staff and customers agreeing to work or socialise in an area
that will allow smoking. The executive chairman of the company, Mr Alan
Bowes, said that they will appeal to the Human Rights Act to argue that
people have the right to smoke or work in a place that allows smoking.
However, the Morning Advertiser's legal expert Peter Coulson said that
this bid would be likely to run into problems as the legislation will
have already taken the Human Rights Act into account.
Morning Advertiser 6/10/05
Biodegradable cigarette filters developed in UK
A biodegradable cigarette filter has been developed that is said to be
better for smokers as well as the environment. The filters are made from
food-grade starch, the carbohydrate polymer in foods such as potatoes
and rice.
The British company that is developing them, Southampton-based Stanelco,
which already makes biodegradable packaging, says it is in talks with
cigarette manufacturers in Europe, North America and Asia about using
them to replace existing filters.
"There is no safe cigarette, but that doesn't mean that they should not
be cleaner and greener," says Howard White, Stanelco's president.
Stanelco says the butts will decompose in just two months, whereas
existing filters made of the synthetic polymer cellulose acetate never
biodegrade, creating 500,000 tonnes of pollution a year around the
world. The company also claims that the filters should be better for
smokers' health as any fragments that end up in the lung will degrade
more quickly, although it has not published any studies to support this.
"It doesn't alter the fact that the main product is still going to be as
deadly as ever" Amanda Sandford from ASH said. It also means that
cigarettes can't be thrown away just because the butts will decompose,
Ms Sandford when on to say "We need to change the mindset of smokers so
butts are disposed of properly."
New Scientist 7/10/05
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/earth/mg18825202.800 (full article
is available to subscribers)
BAT quits Formula One
Leading global brands are set to walk away from multi-million pound
Formula One sponsorship because of ongoing problems with the running of
the sport. There is potential for a breakaway series to occur. Tobacco
sponsors are leaving the sport due to advertising restrictions and
manufacturers are looking to other sponsors to fill the gap.
Formula One team BAR is looking for a new headline sponsor after
founding owner British American Tobacco (BAT) sold its 55 per cent stake
to Honda. Honda will take full control from the end of the year
following the introduction of a European ban on tobacco advertising in
August. BAR Honda - then British American Racing - was established by
BAT in 1997 with Lucky Strike as the headline sponsor.
It is thought Honda will change the name of the team to include the new
sponsor, which will have to pay tens of millions of pounds to secure a
deal. It is believed that Coca-Cola plans to become a major force in
Formula One.
Marketing Week 6/10/05 http://marketingweek.2mad.co.uk (full text
available to subscribers)
Artery damage caused to foetuses by pregnant women smoking
Pregnant women who smoke even moderate amounts are damaging the arteries
of the unborn babies new studies have revealed. Researchers examined the
blood vessels of infants who had died during or soon after pregnancy.
Babies whose mothers were smokers had early stages of atherosclerosis or
'furring of the arteries'.
"These findings are shocking. But cigarettes are terrible things so we
did not feel surprised by the results," said Dr Jose Milei, Director of
the University of Buenos Aires Cardiological Research Institute. A
fellow research predicted that some infants exposed to parental smoking
would develop the kinds of blockages in their arteries that are seen in
young adults who have heart attacks.
Daily Express 3/10/05
Further information Medscape http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/513553
Smoking sheep sets the flock ablaze: Germany
A student dressed as a sheep was set ablaze at a fancy dress harvest
festival bash. The student who made his fancy dress sheep costume out of
paper and cotton wool fixed in place with glue and hairspray burst into
flames when another student (also dressed as a sheep) lit a cigarette.
Marco Schelb, 21, received second and third degree burns to 26% of his
body. Unfortunately four of his friends, who were also dressed as sheep,
tried to put out the flames but set themselves alight in the process. An
onlooker said "it was a horrific scene with the fire spreading from
person to person. No one had thought about the risk of smoking with all
that flammable material around."
Daily Sport 7/10/05
---------------------------------
Unsubscribe:
Public subscribers: http://www.ash.org.uk/?unsubscribe
Globalink members: http://member.globalink.org
----------------------------------
Sarah Ward
Information Manager
Action on Smoking & Health (ASH)
102 Clifton Street
London
EC2A 4HW
Tel: 020 7739 5902
Fax: 020 7613 0531
e-mail: sarah.ward@ash.org.uk
web: http://www.ash.org.uk
map: http://uk2.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?pc=EC2A4HW
Tel 020 7739 5902 Fax 020 7613 0531
ASH Daily News
7 October 2005
[View html version: http://www.globalink.org/nbuk]
HEADLINES
DCMS backs comprehensive ban: UK
Biodegradable cigarette filters developed in UK
BAT quits Formula One
Artery damage caused to foetuses by pregnant women smoking
Smoking sheep sets the flock ablaze: Germany
FULL TEXT
DCMS backs comprehensive ban: UK
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has recommended to
the Government that it should go for a comprehensive ban on smoking.
The move comes after widespread opposition from both inside and outside
the hospitality industry over Department of Health plans to limit the
ban to pubs that serve food.
Nick Bish, Chief Executive of the Association of Licensed Multiple
Retailers said that final decision on the content of the bill will
probably rest with the Primer Minister.
In related news London and Edinburgh Inns have apparently set aside
money to fight smoking bans in Scotland which come into effect next
March. The operator wants to convert its outlets in Scotland to members'
clubs with staff and customers agreeing to work or socialise in an area
that will allow smoking. The executive chairman of the company, Mr Alan
Bowes, said that they will appeal to the Human Rights Act to argue that
people have the right to smoke or work in a place that allows smoking.
However, the Morning Advertiser's legal expert Peter Coulson said that
this bid would be likely to run into problems as the legislation will
have already taken the Human Rights Act into account.
Morning Advertiser 6/10/05
Biodegradable cigarette filters developed in UK
A biodegradable cigarette filter has been developed that is said to be
better for smokers as well as the environment. The filters are made from
food-grade starch, the carbohydrate polymer in foods such as potatoes
and rice.
The British company that is developing them, Southampton-based Stanelco,
which already makes biodegradable packaging, says it is in talks with
cigarette manufacturers in Europe, North America and Asia about using
them to replace existing filters.
"There is no safe cigarette, but that doesn't mean that they should not
be cleaner and greener," says Howard White, Stanelco's president.
Stanelco says the butts will decompose in just two months, whereas
existing filters made of the synthetic polymer cellulose acetate never
biodegrade, creating 500,000 tonnes of pollution a year around the
world. The company also claims that the filters should be better for
smokers' health as any fragments that end up in the lung will degrade
more quickly, although it has not published any studies to support this.
"It doesn't alter the fact that the main product is still going to be as
deadly as ever" Amanda Sandford from ASH said. It also means that
cigarettes can't be thrown away just because the butts will decompose,
Ms Sandford when on to say "We need to change the mindset of smokers so
butts are disposed of properly."
New Scientist 7/10/05
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/earth/mg18825202.800 (full article
is available to subscribers)
BAT quits Formula One
Leading global brands are set to walk away from multi-million pound
Formula One sponsorship because of ongoing problems with the running of
the sport. There is potential for a breakaway series to occur. Tobacco
sponsors are leaving the sport due to advertising restrictions and
manufacturers are looking to other sponsors to fill the gap.
Formula One team BAR is looking for a new headline sponsor after
founding owner British American Tobacco (BAT) sold its 55 per cent stake
to Honda. Honda will take full control from the end of the year
following the introduction of a European ban on tobacco advertising in
August. BAR Honda - then British American Racing - was established by
BAT in 1997 with Lucky Strike as the headline sponsor.
It is thought Honda will change the name of the team to include the new
sponsor, which will have to pay tens of millions of pounds to secure a
deal. It is believed that Coca-Cola plans to become a major force in
Formula One.
Marketing Week 6/10/05 http://marketingweek.2mad.co.uk (full text
available to subscribers)
Artery damage caused to foetuses by pregnant women smoking
Pregnant women who smoke even moderate amounts are damaging the arteries
of the unborn babies new studies have revealed. Researchers examined the
blood vessels of infants who had died during or soon after pregnancy.
Babies whose mothers were smokers had early stages of atherosclerosis or
'furring of the arteries'.
"These findings are shocking. But cigarettes are terrible things so we
did not feel surprised by the results," said Dr Jose Milei, Director of
the University of Buenos Aires Cardiological Research Institute. A
fellow research predicted that some infants exposed to parental smoking
would develop the kinds of blockages in their arteries that are seen in
young adults who have heart attacks.
Daily Express 3/10/05
Further information Medscape http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/513553
Smoking sheep sets the flock ablaze: Germany
A student dressed as a sheep was set ablaze at a fancy dress harvest
festival bash. The student who made his fancy dress sheep costume out of
paper and cotton wool fixed in place with glue and hairspray burst into
flames when another student (also dressed as a sheep) lit a cigarette.
Marco Schelb, 21, received second and third degree burns to 26% of his
body. Unfortunately four of his friends, who were also dressed as sheep,
tried to put out the flames but set themselves alight in the process. An
onlooker said "it was a horrific scene with the fire spreading from
person to person. No one had thought about the risk of smoking with all
that flammable material around."
Daily Sport 7/10/05
---------------------------------
Unsubscribe:
Public subscribers: http://www.ash.org.uk/?unsubscribe
Globalink members: http://member.globalink.org
----------------------------------
Sarah Ward
Information Manager
Action on Smoking & Health (ASH)
102 Clifton Street
London
EC2A 4HW
Tel: 020 7739 5902
Fax: 020 7613 0531
e-mail: sarah.ward@ash.org.uk
web: http://www.ash.org.uk
map: http://uk2.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?pc=EC2A4HW
