Nottingham: Prosecuted for not displaying a no-smoking sign

A business owner is challenging legislation which dictates that no-smoking signs must be displayed in shops.

Stuart Isbister, who owns garden gift shop The Worm That Turned in Derby Road, Nottingham city centre, has been taken to court for refusing to pay a £200 fixed penalty notice after being warned by Nottingham City Council to display a sign. He pleaded not guilty at Nottingham Magistrates' Court yesterday, and faces a fine of £1,000 if he loses a trial, which is due to take place on April 27.

Mr Isbister said the A5 signs would look unwelcoming at the entrance to his shop.

"I want to get this case heard in court so the court can decide if this is a sensible way of going on," he said. "I'm really surprised that the council have got the time and money and resources in this day and age.

"I can't remember a time when people smoked in shops, so it's a like using a sledge hammer to crush a nut, and I thought it was about time someone stood up to it."

The city council says the shop is the only building out of around 5,000 they have visited in the city since the law came into effect that has refused to comply.

This includes buildings such as churches, listed buildings and art galleries, and the council says there has been no challenge about the aesthetic impact of signs on premises.

A council spokesman said: "The Health Act 2006 requires that all smoke-free premises display the appropriate sign at the entrance to the premises – we are simply upholding this."

Source: This is Nottingham - 1 March 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/aIzCZ5

Smokers could save over £6,000 on life cover

With No Smoking Day (NSD) on March 10 and the third anniversary of the smoking ban on the horizon, moneysupermarket.com reveals those who kick the habit could see a difference in their wallets as well as their health.

moneysupermarket.com found Brits kicking the habit could save on average £6,044 on combined Critical Illness Cover (CIC) and life cover, or up to £1,685 on a single life insurance policy. What's more, with the average cost of a packet of 20 cigarettes at £6.13, a smoker could save themselves around £1,508 per year if they make the decision to go smoke-free.

According to the latest research, just over a fifth of women (22 per cent) and almost a third of men (30 per cent) are now ex-smokers - and two thirds of current smokers would like to give up altogether. Figures from the UK's leading price comparison site show non-smokers will save considerably on a combined CIC and life insurance policy. A 30-year old male wanting £150,000 worth of cover over 25 years could save £6,044 over the term if they make the decision to go smoke free. A woman wanting the same level of cover could save £3,655 by kicking the habit.

Emma Walker, head of protection at moneysupermarket.com said: "It is crucial smokers seriously consider both the medical and financial benefits of quitting, instead of letting their hard-earned cash go up in smoke. There are real savings to be made by kicking the habit and shopping around for the best insurance deal to suit your circumstances. In order to be classed as a ‘non-smoker' and qualify for life insurance premium savings, insurers insist smokers have kicked the habit for a full year."

Further research from moneysupermarket.com shows those who choose to go smoke-free will benefit financially for ‘single life' insurance too. For £150,000 worth of cover over 25 years the difference in premiums for smokers and non-smokers is on average £1,685 per term for men, and £1,190 for women. For example, life insurance cover with AEGON Scottish Equitable would cost a 30 year-old male smoker £15.17 per month, or £4,551 over the term. The same policy for a non-smoker stands is considerably lower, £9.51 per month or £2,853 over the term, saving of £5.66 per month or £1,698 over the term.

Emma Walker continued: "Critical Illness Cover could prove vital if a person finds they are unable to work due to serious illness - especially important in today's financial climate. With considerable savings to be made, smokers will hopefully find the willpower to permanently kick the habit, benefiting their health and their wallets."

[...]

Source: Easier Finance - 1 March 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/aIve8m

USA: Barack Obama should drink less alcohol and try harder to kick his smoking habit, doctors say

Barack Obama should not only try harder to kick his smoking habit, his team of doctors warned, but they also recommended 'moderation of alcohol intake'.

It would seem the pressure of the U.S. presidency - and all those White House receptions - are taking their toll after the 48-year-old's first medical checkup since winning the race to the White House.

The chief executive, who has endured an exhausting first year in the White House and year-long battles with congressional Republicans, should also eat better to lower his cholesterol, but was otherwise declared in excellent health and fit for duty.

The White House physician, Navy Capt Jeffrey Kuhlman, said Obama should stick with 'moderation in alcohol intake' and ‘smoking cessation efforts’, the use of nicotine gum, and come back in August 2011 after he turns 50.

Obama's cholesterol levels have crept up to borderline high and he should alter his diet accordingly, according to a report the White House released after the 90-minute examination at the National Naval Medical Centre in Bethesda, Maryland.

While at the facility, he visited 12 military service members receiving treatment and rehabilitation for injuries suffered in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The president is the picture of health, eats modest portions and exercises regularly. He is an avid basketball player and golfer.

The slightly elevated cholesterol levels, occasional smoking and tendinitis in his left knee were the only negatives noted.

Obama said at a June news conference that he still had an occasional cigarette. It was his first public acknowledgment that he hadn't kicked the habit.

He chews nicotine gum to avoid regular smoking, and his doctor said that should continue.

On a previous occasion he said quitting smoking didn't create 'huge withdrawal symptoms', partly because he smoked only seven or eight cigarettes a day at the most.

The then senator first announced his decision to quit in 2007, in order to please his wife Michelle, while on the David Letterman Show.
Kuhlman also said the president should modify his diet to bring his LDL, or bad cholesterol, below 130.

At the time of his last exam, Obama's total cholesterol was 173, while his LDL was 96 and HDL, or good cholesterol, was 68.

This time, total cholesterol was up to 209, with HDL down slightly at 62. LDL was up to 138. Borderline high cholesterol starts at 200, with LDL considered in the same category at 130.

n the U.S., the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says that for healthy men, drinking more than four drinks on any day or 14 per week is considered 'at-risk' or 'heavy' drinking.

Last year Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.

The law allows the Food and Drug Administration to reduce nicotine in tobacco products, ban sweet flavourings and block labels such 'low tar' and 'light.'

Tobacco companies are now also required to cover their cartons with large graphic warnings.

Source: Daily Mail - 02 March 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/aHVTrG

USA: FDA announces meeting information and voting membership of the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced membership and meeting information for the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC). The Committee, required through the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act), will provide advice, information, and recommendations to FDA on a wide range of tobacco-related issues.

The first meeting of the Committee, scheduled for March 30-31, 2010, will focus on the health impacts of the use of menthol in cigarettes as it relates to the demographics of users, preferential use by persons initiating tobacco use, and the effects of menthol on addiction and cessation. In addition, consumer perceptions about menthol cigarettes, the sensory qualities of menthol cigarettes, and the effects of menthol on how cigarettes are smoked will be discussed at the Committee’s inaugural meeting.

These discussions are preliminary to the preparation of the Committee’s Report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services regarding the impact of use of menthol in cigarettes on the public’s health, required by the Tobacco Control Act.

“FDA will be faced with many challenging tobacco-related public health, science and regulatory issues as we move forward with implementation of the Tobacco Control Act,” said Lawrence R. Deyton, M.S.P.H., M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. “The breadth of knowledge amassed by this highly-qualified group will supplement and enhance the agency’s understanding of tobacco control, prevention, and health promotion issues.”

The committee is comprised of 12 members, nine voting and three non-voting. Of the nine voting members, seven are health professionals representing a wide variety of relevant disciplines. The other two voting members include a representative from state government and a representative of the general public.

Selection of the three non-voting members representing industry interests is on-going. Ultimately this will include one member from the tobacco manufacturing industry, one representing tobacco growers, and one representative from the small business manufacturing industry.

For additional background, including the roster of members, please go to http://www.fda.gov/Tobacco

Source: US Department of Health and Human Services - 1 March 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/9V1MrZ

UN tobacco control convention marks fifth anniversary

The United Nations tobacco control convention – called a true triumph for public health by the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) and among the most widely embraced treaties in UN history – turns five today.
“The tobacco industry is ruthless, devious, rich, and powerful. As we all know, neither WHO nor public health is rich, but with the Framework Convention now in place, we are indeed powerful,” said WHO Director-General Margaret Chan, in her opening remarks at today's celebration in Geneva of the fifth anniversary of the entry into force of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

The first international treaty negotiated under the auspices of the WHO, the Convention entered into force on 27 February 2005 and has since become one of the most widely embraced UN treaties with 164 parties.

An estimated 5 million people annually – the equivalent of one person every 6 seconds – die from tobacco-related illnesses such as cancers, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The Convention aims to lower these rates by calling for and supporting measures that reduce the demand for and supply of tobacco, such as stronger tax and price measures.

"The Convention demonstrates that health can indeed persuade other sectors to take action, through taxes, graphic health warnings, legislation, and marketing bans," Dr. Chan said.

According to a recent analysis of 117 national implementation reports, nearly 80 per cent of the Parties to the Convention prohibited sales of tobacco products to minors and 70 per cent have introduced large, clear and visible health warnings on the packages of tobacco products.

Dr. Chan noted that while levels of tobacco use have dropped in many affluent countries, they are on the rise in developing countries which are seen as “the new frontier for the marketing of tobacco products” particularly to girls and women. She also noted that the world is shaped by “the globalization of unhealthy lifestyles,” which includes smoking.

She added that more could be done to curb tobacco's popularity using already established tools.

“Tobacco taxes are the most effective way to reduce tobacco use. Yet only 21 countries have tobacco tax rates greater than 75 per cent of the retail price,” Dr. Chan said.

The first protocol to the Convention aimed at combating illicit tobacco trade is being negotiated, and Dr. Chan noted that the tobacco industry is describing itself as “responsible” and asking to be a part of the negotiations.

“The answer is a firm no,” she said.

Source: UN News Centre - 26 February 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/d7KQAb