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ASH Daily news for 15 August 2011

HEADLINES

  • Imperial Tobacco drops cigarette machine campaign

    Imperial Tobacco has dropped its campaign to reverse the cigarette vending machine ban after the Supreme Court turned down grounds for an appeal.

    The company, via its vending machine manufacturer subsidiary Sinclair Collis, had vowed to keep up its challenge despite the Court of Appeal previously upholding the ban.

    Imperial Tobacco sought permission to appeal to the Supreme Court and wanted the ban, set for 1 October 2011, to be delayed until after this appeal.

    However, the Supreme Court turned down leave to appeal.

    “Imperial Tobacco Group notes the Supreme Court’s decision not to hear an appeal by our cigarette vending machine subsidiary Sinclair Collis over legislation to ban sales of tobacco from vending machines in England,” it said.

    “Sinclair Collis is now focused on meeting its responsibility to comply with the implementation of the ban by 1 October 2011.”

    Source: Morning Advertiser, 12 August 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/qmzJ58

  • Increased risk of atrial fibrillation brought on by cigarette smoking

    According to a study published in the August edition of HeartRhythm, people who quit smoking have a significantly lower risk of developing atrial fibrillations (AF) in comparison to those who continue smoking.

    AF is a common heart rhythm disorder with over 2 million people in the U.S. diagnosed and approximately 160,000 new cases identified every year. Although many risk factors have been identified for AF, including obesity, hypertension and diabetes, the link between AF and smoking is not as clear, according to the Heart Rhythm Society.

    Co-author Alanna M. Chamberlain, PhD, MPH, Department of Health Sciences Research at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota explained,

    "AF is a serious health issue that decreases quality of life and significantly increases the risk of stroke. It is my hope that our study findings will shed more light on the impact that smoking has on cardiovascular diseases, and help individuals realize they can play a role in preventing the development of atrial fibrillation."

    Source: Medical News Today, 11 August 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/pkGJwb

  • Pregnant women ignore smoking advice

    More pregnant women are smoking in Hartlepool than the national average.

    Figures show that the town also suffers from a higher than average death rate linked to smoking.

    Figures show the town’s rate of pregnant smokers is 22.6 per cent of women compared to 21.1 per cent in the North-East, and 13.5 per cent nationally.

    Deaths attributed to smoking stand at 316.1 per 100,000 people in Hartlepool, compared to 282.5 per 100,000 regionally, and 216.0 nationally.

    The statistics come at a time when a national study showed women who smoke had a much higher risk of a heart attack than men.

    Campaigners from the anti-smoking group FRESH, began their own calls for tougher action to crack down on the glamour of smoking.

    Ailsa Rutter, director of FRESH, said: “The study of 2.4 million people published in The Lancet shows that women who smoke have a much higher risk of heart attack then men.

    She said the North-East levels of smoking rates among women stood at 23 per cent of women over 16, or 248,000 women.

    “We are particularly seeing smoking becoming more and more prevalent among younger women.”

    Source: Peterlee Mail, 13 August 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/q5Bys3

  • Young people to open their own anti-smoking marketing agency

    Campaign group D-MYST is recruiting 15 young people to run their own marketing agency and create their own anti-smoking campaigns.

    The “virtual agency”, D-MYST, will open in September and will offer people aged between 11 and 19 the chance to work with marketing and design experts over six months.

    The initiatives will build on the work that anti-smoking group D-MYST has carried out over the past five years.

    D-MYST is planning two campaigns for over the winter. Instead of handing the creative side of the campaigns entirely to marketing agencies, it wants young people to help decide strategy, plan advertising and PR campaigns, and design some publicity material.

    Programme manager Helen Castles said: “D-MYST has always been run by young people for young people, so we decided we should get them totally involved in the execution of the campaigns.

    “By setting up their own agency within an agency, they can also get real hands-on work experience in an exciting environment.”

    Source: Liverpool Daily Post, 12 August 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/nMVKQh

  • Ireland: MEP says Government should sue tobacco firms

    A Labour MEP said the Government should sue tobacco companies to recoup the costs of healthcare for smokers.

    Nessa Childers said the costs involved could no longer be tolerated and the tobacco companies should be made pay to them.

    She said, "We must curb the massive related healthcare costs. It costs the Irish state €1 billion per year to provide health services for smokers. These days, we simply can’t tolerate this any longer."

    "The Government should consider taking a legal case against big tobacco companies for the health costs their industry is knowingly causing the Irish state."

    She pointed to the US, where states issued lawsuits which forced the major tobacco companies to agree multi-billion-dollar contributions towards the costs of treating ill smokers.

    It is not the first time such a call has been made for similar action to be taken by the Government here.

    In 1999 the cross-party Oireachtas Committee on Health said civil legal proceedings should be brought to "recoup expenditure incurred in the treatment of tobacco-related illnesses and other expenditure resulting from such illnesses".

    Source: Irish Examiner, 12 August 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/rnDsBN

  • Russia plans restriction of tobacco smoking, sales

    Draft legislation has been issued by Russia's Health Ministry. The legislation includes proposals which could lead to a full ban on smoking in most public places, limit tobacco sales to fixed stores and ban kiosks from selling tobacco products.

    The draft also calls for a minimum price of 61 rubles ($2) a pack for cigarettes and greater control over manufacturers.

     

    Source: Bloomberg, 12 August 2011
    Link: http://bloom.bg/ovwZQY