ASH Daily news for 03 October 2011
HEADLINES
- Cigarette vending machines banned in England
- Be on guard for underage smokers, shopkeepers warned
- Labour Party row over tobacco firms' invitation to conference
- Scotland: NHS costs cut by smoking controls
- Australia: Cigars to get plain packaging
- South Africa: New law requires self extinguishing cigarettes
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Cigarette vending machines banned in England
The sale of tobacco from vending machines has been banned in England, with anyone caught selling cigarettes in machines facing a fine of £2,500.
The Department of Health said the ban had been introduced to prevent under-age sales to children and to support adults who were trying to quit.
It is also estimated that 35 million cigarettes are sold illegally through vending machines to children every year.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said smoking was "one of the biggest and most stubborn challenges in public health", with more than eight million people in England still smoking, causing more than 80,000 deaths each year.
He said: "Cigarette vending machines are often unsupervised, making it easy for children to purchase cigarettes from them.”
Jo Butcher, the National Children's Bureau's programme director of health and wellbeing, welcomed the ban and said, “A person's lifetime smoking or non-smoking behaviour was heavily influenced by decisions in their adolescence. Children and young people tell us that external influences make it even more difficult for them to choose healthier lifestyles. It's essential that we create environments that improve health and tobacco legislation is an important part of public health protection and promotion.”
Cancer Research and the British Heart Foundation have welcomed the move.
Betty McBride, director of policy and communications at the British Heart Foundation, said, “Thousands of children at risk of this deadly addiction regularly got tobacco from vending machines, which conveniently don't ask them to prove their age. These children are often blissfully unaware of the damage smoking does to their health and, by the time they realise, they're hooked. Scrapping these machines cuts off an easy source of tobacco for existing young smokers and makes it harder for a new generation to start."
Jean King, of Cancer Research UK, added: "Tobacco kills half of all long-term users and is responsible for one in four cancer deaths. Cancer Research UK is determined to protect children from tobacco marketing and through our Out of Sight Out of Mind campaign we are continuing to work for legislation to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes."
Links to further coverage:
Department of Health: http://bit.ly/qoRVCQ
The Guardian - Ban on selling cigarettes from vending machines comes into force: http://bit.ly/pAR5Rj
The Mirror - Cigarette vending machines banned in pubs from this weekend: http://bit.ly/nOwylA
Source: BBC News 01 October 2011
Link: http://bbc.in/pvOHC8 -
Be on guard for underage smokers, shopkeepers warned
Newsagents and convenience stores are being warned to expect an influx of under 16s trying to buy cigarettes, as a ban on selling tobacco products in vending machines comes into force.
The ban, which only covers England, is a victory for health campaigners who say vending machines make it far too easy for underage smokers to purchase cigarettes illegally.
Dennis Ager, of the Trading Standards Institute, said: "The ease with which children have been able to access cigarettes from these often unsupervised machines has been truly shocking and this ban is proportionate and necessary. Trading Standards will be working closely with businesses to help them comply with this new legislation."
A spokesman for the Association of Convenience Stores said no specific action was being taken to warn shopkeepers of growing numbers of under 16s trying to buy tobacco in store. There was "no way of knowing" if numbers would increase, he claimed.
However, he added: "For a number of years retailers have been focused on trying to prevent underage smokers from buying cigarettes in their stores."
Source: The Telegraph, 01 October 2011
Link: http://tgr.ph/pDXHew -
Labour Party row over tobacco firms' invitation to conference
John Healey, the shadow health secretary, is said to have stayed away from a Labour event in protest against an invitation sent to tobacco giants.
It's alleged that John Healey, the shadow health secretary, was so angry that two representatives of the big cigarette firms had been invited to the £1,434-per-head Business Forum at the conference in Liverpool that he and a member of his health team refused to attend.
Healey said, “I can’t comment on this. Labour does not deny the clash.”
A party spokesman says: “In government Labour acted to ban smoking in the workplace, restrict tobacco advertising and campaigned to reduce smoking and any suggestion that the party has been open to undue lobbying at this or other events would be incorrect.”
Source: The Telegraph, 02 October 2011
Link: http://tgr.ph/nqxFvb -
Scotland: NHS costs cut by smoking controls
Anti-smoking campaigners ASH Scotland have hailed a new report which has found that tobacco control programmes can cut health care costs.
Chief executive Sheila Duffy said the report in The Lancet belies the “myth” that the £960 million tax revenue from tobacco sales helps to prop up the NHS.
She said: “The hard truth is that treating tobacco-related illnesses, lost productivity and other costs to the Scottish economy total £1.1 billion.”
The Lancet report concluded: “Leaders who make a commitment to funding a global programme addressing these issues can be confident that there is good evidence showing that effective programmes not only reduce tobacco use and the attendant NCDs in the short term, but make an important contribution to curbing health-care costs and improving standards of living and human capital levels immediately, with increasing benefits over time.”
Source: Nursing Times, 30 September 2011
Link: http://bit.ly/pclLIq -
Australia: Cigars to get plain packaging
Cigars, cigarillos and loose and chewing tobacco are the next targets in the federal government's plain-packaging campaign.
Health Minister Nicola Roxon released a consultation paper explaining how plain-packaging rules for tobacco products other than cigarettes would work.
Legislation requiring plain, olive green tobacco packaging is now before parliament.
This new consultation will help the government develop regulations on how that legislation, once law, would apply to products other than cigarettes.
Ms Roxon said the government wanted the approach to plain packaging to be the same as far as possible across all tobacco products.
'Whether you are talking about cigarettes, cigars or pipe tobacco, all are addictive and all are harmful,' she said in a statement.
Submissions on the proposals are open until October 28.
The discussion paper can be found at www.yourhealth.gov.au.
Source: Big Pond News, 03 October 2011
Link: http://bit.ly/rrMed2 -
South Africa: New law requires self extinguishing cigarettes
By late next year, all cigarettes in South Africa will automatically put themselves out if the smoker does not puff after a few minutes.
The amendment is expected to be included in the Tobacco Products Control Act.
The new amendment is aimed at reducing house fires caused by negligent smokers.
Dr Yussuf Saloojee, the executive director of the National Council Against Smoking said, “Cigarettes cause 6 percent of fires in South Africa and are the leading cause of fires in homes."
“This amendment will be implemented in November next year, and retailers have 18 months to get rid of old stock.”
Dr Saloojee said, "Also on the cards are more severe limitations on tobacco advertising. Although tobacco advertising is illegal in South Africa, retailers still use posters in their shops to encourage customers to buy the products. Retailers will still be allowed to sell tobacco products, but they must not advertise this.”
Source: IOL, 03 October 2011
Link: http://bit.ly/otTVha
