ASH Daily News for 10/10/2001
HEADLINES
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ASH Daily News
10 October 2001
Headlines
Women ‘conned’ by low tar cigarettes
Imperial to close cigarette plants
No-smoking areas on the up
Full Text
Women ‘conned’ by low tar cigarettes
Many women smokers believe that low tar cigarettes are less harmful to their health, research suggests.
A survey of 780 women who smoke low-tar, light or mild cigarettes found that nearly 40% of them believe they are doing themselves less damage than if they were smoking regular cigarettes.
However, the NHS Executive has stressed that all smokers have a one in two chance of dying early from their habit – regardless of the strength of the cigarette of choice.
The poll for SmokeFree London, an alliance of health authorities across the capital, found that women are much more likely than men to smoke cigarettes such as Silk Cut, Marlboro Lights and Camel Lights.
Of the smokers surveyed, 58% of women compared to 50% of men smoked lights.
Judith Watt, of SmokeFree London, said: “These statistics show how successful the tobacco industry has been at conning women into thinking some cigarettes are somehow less harmful than others. The figures prove just how dangerous clever marketing can be.”
She added: “Women need to understand that smoking lower tar brands is not going to save them from the huge risk cigarettes pose to their health. These cigarettes cause cancer, heart disease and other life threatening illnesses, just like all other cigarettes.”
The use of the terms such as low tar is set to be banned form September 2003 under a European Union directive. However, its content is being challenged by the tobacco industry.
Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1589000/1589088.stm
Source: BBC News Online, 9 October 2001
Imperial to close cigarette plants
Imperial tobacco, the cigarette group, is to cut more than 200 jobs as it restructures its manufacturing operations and closes factories. Gareth Davis, the chief executive, said the restructuring was necessary to continue “growing a sustainable, international business.”
Imperial expects to recover the £16 million cost of restructuring in two years.
Source: The Independent, The Times, 10 October 2001
No-smoking areas on the up
Over a third of the UK’s pubs now offer customers a no-smoking area, according to latest research.
The initial results from a survey conducted by the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) on behalf of the Department of Health have revealed a 70 percent increase in the number of no smoking areas since the launch of the Public Places Charter in 1998.
In many cases, pubs that provide for non-smoking customers by using ventilation or separate areas have seen an upturn in profits.
The trade’s charter recommends the use of signage as well as measures to cut smoky atmosphere. Figures from the survey indicate that between 20 to 30 percent of outlets had put up charter signage – significantly up from five months ago when barely 10 percent of outlets were charter-compliant.
However, the figures still fall short of the fifty percent compliance target set by the government.
The Department of Health will be reviewing this research in the autumn to identify whether the industry is on track to meet its January 2003 target of 35% of venues with non-smoking areas and/or upgraded ventilation and 50 percent with charter signs.
Failure by the industry to meet government targets may result in legislation restricting smoking in pubs.
Source: Publican, 8 October 2001
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