ASH Daily News for 06/12/2000

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ASH Daily News

6 December 2000

Headlines

Dons furious over tobacco cash
Smoking costs time and money
Anti-smoking campaign targets Muslims
Broughton: I joined BAT 'to travel the world at somebody else's expense'
'Cigarettes flood in'
Full Text

Dons furious over tobacco cash

Nottingham University last night faced an internal revolt over the decision
to accept £3.8m from British American Tobacco to open a school of business
ethics.
Staff in the medical school, including academics involved in cancer
research, oppose the acceptance of cash from a multinational accused of
exploiting smuggling.
John Britton, a consultant chest physician and professor of epidemiology at
Nottingham, said: "I think this is an error. If BAT had any social
responsibility in their corporate body, they would stop making and selling
cigarettes."
Professor Britton, who is also chairman of the Royal College of Physicians'
tobacco advisory group, added: "It seems something of a contradiction for
what is widely perceived to be a not terribly socially responsible
organisation to be funding a centre for corporate social responsibility.

Source: The Guardian, 6 December 2000
Link: http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,407385,00.html

Smoking costs time and money

BBC News Online reports, 'Young smokers take more time off work - because of
their habit - than their non-smoking peers. The US research comes as
another study suggests Britain could save £1.14bn over 10 years if a tougher
policy was adopted against smokers. The savings could be achieved if
Britain followed California's aim of cutting the number of smokers by 17% by
2010. Government targets are to cut smoking rates among adults by 4% to 24%
by 2010 which, researchers say, will save £524m. Treating smoking related
illnesses - such as heart disease and strokes - is one of the biggest costs
for the NHS. The American study of young smokers in the US Army found male
smokers are the most likely to be off work, and to have to be hospitalised.
Women smokers are also more at risk than their non smoking counterparts.'
The article further reports on the research that was published in the
tobacco control journal, 'The researchers, led by Major Anthony Robbins, of
Brooks Air Force Base in Texas, monitored 88,000 men and women in the US
Army, with an average age of 28, over two years. Male smokers were more 60%
likely to take time off work, and they were 7% more likely to take time off
because of injuries. Female smokers were 15% more likely to take time off,
and 54% more likely to have to take time off because of injury. More than
14% of lost workdays for men, and 3% of lost workdays for women could be
directly linked to smoking.'
Amanda Sandford, research manager for ASH, said: "It seems quite logical
when you think about it that smokers are more likely to cost industry more
because they are more likely to get minor illnesses. Most people think about
smoking-related diseases as things like lung cancer, things which you get
when you're older."

Source: BBC News Online, 5 December 2000
Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1054000/1054286.stm

Anti-smoking campaign targets Muslims

BBC News Online reports the following, 'Muslims throughout England are being
urged to give up smoking for good during the celebration of Islam's holiest
month, Ramadan. Ramadan which continues until the end of December is marked
by fasting from dawn till dusk. The 'Smoke-free Ramadan' campaign aims to
take advantage of the fact that as well as abstaining from eating, Muslims
are also not allowed to smoke during daylight hours. Kawaldip Sehmi from
Asian Quitline, an Asian-language telephone counselling service which is
one of the groups behind the campaign, said the idea is to persuade Muslims
not to smoke after sunset either.'

The article adds, 'Kawaldip Sehmi: Ramadan is a good time to quit, "The
central theme is that because Ramadan concentrates on abstaining we think
it's a good time to quit," he said.

Source: BBC News Online, 4 December 2000
Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/ewsid_1053000/1053998.stm

Broughton: I joined BAT 'to travel the world at somebody else's expense'

A letter from David Gerrard, appears in the Financial Times that states the
following, 'The latest British Airways Investor Magazine contains an
introductory profile for two new board members. Their CVs are presented to
show investors the expertise and priorities they bring that will best serve
the company, staff and shareholders and revive BA's flagging fortunes. Image
and share price.'

Martin Broughton, chairman of BAT, lays out the policies he brings with him
very concisely: "I joined BAT because it was an international group and it
gave me the chance to travel the world at somebody else's expense."

The letter continues, 'I am sure staff and shareholders will gain confidence
from such a statement. Between free flights, at others expense, I sincerely
hope Mr Broughton has the time to attend board meetings and collect the fees
for doing so.'

Source: Financial Times, 6 December 2000

'Cigarettes flood in'

'High tar cigarettes exported by the UK to the Third World are now
threatening the lives of British smokers. The cigarettes, with significantly
higher-than-legal levels of cancer causing chemicals.are smuggled back here
by organised crime syndicates are sold on the black market. In factories
such as British American Tobacco's in Southampton, millions of high-tar
packets are produced, destined for countries in Africa and Asia where health
laws are much less stringent.'

Professor Judith McKay, of the World Health Organisation, tells ITV's
tonight with Trevor McDonald, to be screened this evening: "We've been
killing people in countries like China for years through this trade. It's an
irony these cigarettes are now coming back and killing British people.'
Source: Daily Express, 6 December 2000

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Karl Brookes
Action on Smoking and Health
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London
EC2A 4HW
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