ASH Daily News for 24/02/2003
HEADLINES
ASH, 102 Clifton Street, LONDON, EC2A 4HW.
Tel 020 7739 5902 Fax 020 7613 0531
ASH Daily News
24 February 2003
HEADLINES
Campaign cuts number of teenage smokers
BAT considers £1bn share buyback
Zyban concerns raised
No smoking at the fly-on-the-wall bar
FULL TEXT
Campaign cuts number of teenage smokers
The number of teenagers in Guernsey who smoke has been cut by half after one
of the most successful anti-tobacco campaigns in more than a decade.
Radical measures to curb tobacco use, introduced to the Channel Island in
the late 1990s, have brought a big change in the way smoking is perceived by
young people, with a sharp decline in the number saying they were attracted
to it.
Campaigners say the measures could be introduced on the mainland with
similar success. "Guernsey has led the way in reducing smoking among young
people," the charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) said.
Clive Bates, director of ASH, said: "There are certain principles such as
increasing tax and banning advertising which we know work in every society
and they have been particularly well applied in Guernsey." Although
cigarettes were cheaper in Guernsey, it was rising prices that deterred
people rather than their absolute level, he said.
Figures for 2001, the latest available, show the level of smoking among
15-year-olds in England has come down only slightly from 24 per cent in 1998
to 22 per cent.
Full article:
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health/story.jsp?story=381088
Source: The Independent, 24 February 2003
BAT considers £1bn share buyback
BAT, the world's second largest tobacco company, is weighing a £1 billion
share buy-back that could be unveiled along with its financial results this
week
The move would not preclude the possibility of BAT making a large
acquisition - analysts have long speculated that it could buy Gallaher,
another UK cigarettes com pany, or American firm RJ Reynolds (RJR).
Gallaher's shares were up on Friday following renewed rumours about a bid.
BAT reiterated that it remains acquisitive, but declined to comment on
market speculation about Gallaher. A spokesman said: 'Our current strategy
for growth is to look at opportunities if and when they arise.'
The bid talk was re-ignited by comments in Business Week which - citing
analysts - said Gallaher would be a perfect fit for acquisition-hungry BAT
due to its exposure to high-growth European markets.
BAT is cash-rich and could easily afford to buy Gallaher.
Last year, BAT reported operating profits down marginally by 1 per cent in
the first nine months of its accounting period. This reflected the weakness
against sterling of both the US and Canadian dollars and the South African
rand.
Source: The Observer, 23 February 2003
Zyban concerns raised
The Mail on Sunday reports on the suicide of a talented student that is
being blamed to his taking the anti-smoking drug Zyban.
The family of 18 year-old Nick Hirst say his personality was transformed
after the drug to kick his five-a-day habit.
Nick’s mother Diane said ‘Nick wanted to take Zyban so that he could be
super-fit to play rugby. He was given two weeks’ supply, of which he took
only half. “Almost immediately we realised something was wrong. The drug
changed his personality. He would speak loudly, and then quietly and was
more aggressive. He wouldn’t play rugby anymore and that was his whole life.
Nick Hirst committed suicide six months after first taking Zyban.
A spokesman for the Medicines Control Agency, which monitors prescriptions
drugs said: “Psychiatric disorders such as depression have been reported in
association with Zyban, and a warning has been present in the UK product
information and in the patient information leaflet.”
Source: Mail on Sunday, 23 February 2003
No smoking at the fly-on-the-wall bar
TV chiefs have banned smoking on a new show set in a nightclub to be hosted
by pregnant model Donna Air.
ITV bosses feared that she might quit if the health of her unborn child were
put at risk. Now they’ve ordered punters on the fly-on-the-wall reality show
to stub out their cigarettes. Filmed in London’s trendy Nylin nightspot, the
programme will follow celebrities as they try to run their own bar.
Donna Air announced last month that she’d quit booze and fags.
Source: The Star, 23 February 2003
----------------------------------
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Public subscribers: http://www.ash.org.uk/?unsubscribe
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----------------------------------
Naj Dehlavi
Action on Smoking and Health
102 Clifton Street
London EC2A 4HW
http://www.ash.org.uk
Tel 020 7739 5902 Fax 020 7613 0531
ASH Daily News
24 February 2003
HEADLINES
Campaign cuts number of teenage smokers
BAT considers £1bn share buyback
Zyban concerns raised
No smoking at the fly-on-the-wall bar
FULL TEXT
Campaign cuts number of teenage smokers
The number of teenagers in Guernsey who smoke has been cut by half after one
of the most successful anti-tobacco campaigns in more than a decade.
Radical measures to curb tobacco use, introduced to the Channel Island in
the late 1990s, have brought a big change in the way smoking is perceived by
young people, with a sharp decline in the number saying they were attracted
to it.
Campaigners say the measures could be introduced on the mainland with
similar success. "Guernsey has led the way in reducing smoking among young
people," the charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) said.
Clive Bates, director of ASH, said: "There are certain principles such as
increasing tax and banning advertising which we know work in every society
and they have been particularly well applied in Guernsey." Although
cigarettes were cheaper in Guernsey, it was rising prices that deterred
people rather than their absolute level, he said.
Figures for 2001, the latest available, show the level of smoking among
15-year-olds in England has come down only slightly from 24 per cent in 1998
to 22 per cent.
Full article:
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health/story.jsp?story=381088
Source: The Independent, 24 February 2003
BAT considers £1bn share buyback
BAT, the world's second largest tobacco company, is weighing a £1 billion
share buy-back that could be unveiled along with its financial results this
week
The move would not preclude the possibility of BAT making a large
acquisition - analysts have long speculated that it could buy Gallaher,
another UK cigarettes com pany, or American firm RJ Reynolds (RJR).
Gallaher's shares were up on Friday following renewed rumours about a bid.
BAT reiterated that it remains acquisitive, but declined to comment on
market speculation about Gallaher. A spokesman said: 'Our current strategy
for growth is to look at opportunities if and when they arise.'
The bid talk was re-ignited by comments in Business Week which - citing
analysts - said Gallaher would be a perfect fit for acquisition-hungry BAT
due to its exposure to high-growth European markets.
BAT is cash-rich and could easily afford to buy Gallaher.
Last year, BAT reported operating profits down marginally by 1 per cent in
the first nine months of its accounting period. This reflected the weakness
against sterling of both the US and Canadian dollars and the South African
rand.
Source: The Observer, 23 February 2003
Zyban concerns raised
The Mail on Sunday reports on the suicide of a talented student that is
being blamed to his taking the anti-smoking drug Zyban.
The family of 18 year-old Nick Hirst say his personality was transformed
after the drug to kick his five-a-day habit.
Nick’s mother Diane said ‘Nick wanted to take Zyban so that he could be
super-fit to play rugby. He was given two weeks’ supply, of which he took
only half. “Almost immediately we realised something was wrong. The drug
changed his personality. He would speak loudly, and then quietly and was
more aggressive. He wouldn’t play rugby anymore and that was his whole life.
Nick Hirst committed suicide six months after first taking Zyban.
A spokesman for the Medicines Control Agency, which monitors prescriptions
drugs said: “Psychiatric disorders such as depression have been reported in
association with Zyban, and a warning has been present in the UK product
information and in the patient information leaflet.”
Source: Mail on Sunday, 23 February 2003
No smoking at the fly-on-the-wall bar
TV chiefs have banned smoking on a new show set in a nightclub to be hosted
by pregnant model Donna Air.
ITV bosses feared that she might quit if the health of her unborn child were
put at risk. Now they’ve ordered punters on the fly-on-the-wall reality show
to stub out their cigarettes. Filmed in London’s trendy Nylin nightspot, the
programme will follow celebrities as they try to run their own bar.
Donna Air announced last month that she’d quit booze and fags.
Source: The Star, 23 February 2003
----------------------------------
Unsubscribe:
Public subscribers: http://www.ash.org.uk/?unsubscribe
Globalink members: http://member.globalink.org
----------------------------------
Naj Dehlavi
Action on Smoking and Health
102 Clifton Street
London EC2A 4HW
http://www.ash.org.uk
