ASH Daily News for 15/10/2004
HEADLINES
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ASH Daily News
15 October 2004
HEADLINES
Smoking ban in the capital moves a step closer
SeaFrance hopeful of stubbing out effect of expensive cigarettes
Imperial & BAT directors join the millionaires’ club
MPs to look at Customs’ fraud battle
Economist sheds image to lighten up
FULL TEXT
Smoking ban in the capital moves a step closer
A ban on smoking in London’s pubs, clubs and restaurants moved a step closer following support from council leaders.
The proposal was backed by a committee comprising of the 33 heads of the capital’s local authorities. Now a ban on lighting up in enclosed spaces will be presented as a Bill to Parliament, the group agreed.
People will still be able to smoke in the streets and parks if the bid becomes law. It follows growing concern about the threat of passive smoking to 1 million workers exposed to tobacco smoke.
Sir Robin Wales, the committee chairman said: “We want to ensure that non-smokers are able to enjoy visiting public places without the risk of inhaling other people’s smoke, which leads to death.”
The initiative was welcomed by ASH as a “positive view” on a smoking ban, but pro-smoking lobby group Forest said there was no overwhelming public support for it.
In an editorial the Evening Standard claimed it would have preferred local boroughs to consult locally and propose a ban only if local opinion backed one. Popular support, rather than legislative prescription is the paper’s preferred path.
Source: Metro, Evening Standard, 14 October 2004
SeaFrance hopeful of stubbing out effect of expensive cigarettes
The Managing Director of SeaFrance, Robin Wilkins conceded that this year’s company results will not be good. However, he noted that the Channel operator “is on track for recovery in the medium term.”
Like its competitors on the Dover-Calais run, SeaFrance has succumb to the effects of the rise in tobacco prices in France. It caused a substantial fall in day tripping passenger numbers.
“Tobacco increases have had a major effect on the market place”, Mr Wilkins said. But he believes the day passenger market will return to what it traditionally was, minus the opportunity to stock up on cigarettes and more of a chance for a “good day out.”
Source: Lloyds List, 14 October 2004
Imperial & BAT directors join the millionaires’ club
Accountancy magazine lists fifteen company finance directors who received remuneration packages that topped £1 million last year.
The record includes two finance directors from tobacco companies; Robert Dyrbus of Imperial Tobacco entered the directory at number 5, receiving a package totalling £1.345 million. Paul Rayner of BAT (entrant number 6) pocketed a cool £1.253 million.
Source: Accountancy, October 2004
MPs to look at Customs’ fraud battle
A committee of MPs began examining the success of Customs and Excise’s battle against cross-border duty fraud.
The Treasury sub-committee will look at how it has been tackling tobacco smuggling and alcohol fraud, and also look at the abuse of rebated fuel.
The inquiry will cover the financial scale of the fraud and moves taken to reduce it.
Source: The Independent, 15 October 2004
Economist sheds image to lighten up
Economists are taking an interest in sex, drugs and alcohol – strictly for research purposes, you understand. Andrew Oswald, Professor of economics at Warwick University applies the analysis of his profession to the pleasures of the flesh in the current issue of Accountancy.
The orthodox view in economics is that people are rational maximizers: they opt for risky alternatives if the long-run benefits outweigh the costs. Rationality is the top dog. People take drugs, smoke and have unsafe sex after having made considered choices.
Others disagree, claiming that humans are far from being wholly rational. On the subject of smoking Professor Oswald cites economists at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) who came up with remarkable evidence against libertarianism.
They demonstrate, using data through time, that when cigarette taxes increase, American smokers later become happier (as registered on happiness survey scores) and reduce their smoking.
Yet to a conventionally-minded economist that is hard to fathom. If people get happy by cutting down, why not do so without a tax increase? This puts rationality in question.
Source: Accountancy, October 2004
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Mr. Harold Wilson
Admin Assistant
Action on Smoking and Health
United Kingdom
