Misleading anti-smoking leaflets withdrawn by Sussex NHS chiefs

Health chiefs have been rapped on the knuckles for making unfounded claims about tobacco companies.

The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) upheld a complaint about an NHS West Sussex leaflet which said cigarette firms targeted children.

The leaflet also counted smokers who had given up for four weeks as being permanent quitters.

The ASA concluded the claims were “likely to mislead” and asked the health service to withdraw the advert.

The body received a complaint about a leaflet entitled Don’t Run With The Pack, published as part of NHS West Sussex’s Well Fit campaign.

It was left at GP surgeries to advertise nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to help people give up smoking.

It read: “Did you know that tobacco companies actively target young people to replace older smokers as they die off?

“Did you know that in some developing countries tobacco companies give out free cigarettes to children and young people to get them hooked?

“Did you know that you are twice as likely to succeed at stopping if you use NRT? Did you know that you are four times as likely to succeed if you use NRT and see a specialist advisor?”

The ASA concluded there was not enough evidence to demonstrate tobacco companies were targeting younger people in the UK.

It did find there was enough evidence for a claim that tobacco companies were distributing free cigarettes to children and young people in Africa, South America and the Caribbean to get them addicted.

The ASA decided the claim about people stopping smoking was misleading because “stopping” meant going only four weeks without smoking.

Its report said: “We considered that readers were likely to expect that the references to stopping smoking were based on more permanent cessation and not merely the four-week period used under the NHS definition.

“We therefore concluded that the ad was likely to mislead.”

Anna Kirk, the health improvement practitioner for substance misuse at NHS West Sussex said: “We note the findings of the ASA and take them on board for all future resources.

“We continue to be committed to reducing the harm caused to our community by tobacco.

”We do this by supporting more than 4,000 people to stop smoking every year, working with schools and others to prevent children starting to smoke, and reducing the harms of second-hand smoke by promoting smoke-free environments.”

Source: The Argus - 11 February 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/alyfbu

Lemar becomes Ambassador for No Smoking Day

Soul star Lemar has become an Ambassador for the charity No Smoking Day. 

Thanks to his mother’s strongly held opposition to smoking Lemar has never taken up the habit, and is all too aware of the damage that smoking causes to people’s lives. That is why he has welcomed the opportunity to support one of the UK’s leading health campaign for smokers who want to quit - No Smoking Day.

No Smoking Day 2010 takes place on Wednesday 10 March and is the 27th annual campaign. Each year, nearly one million smokers quit on the Day.

Lemar said: “The campaign message is ‘Break Free'. If, by supporting No Smoking Day, I can help one person to break free from the chains of their smoking addiction, then I believe that my role as an Ambassador will have been worthwhile. I feel that No Smoking Day is the perfect opportunity to provide hope and help to smokers in a non-judgemental way - I’m proud to be a supporter.”

Duncan Bannatyne OBE, President of No Smoking Day, commented: “We’re delighted to have Lemar as an Ambassador for the charity. His passionate desire to encourage people to become smokefree will, I’m sure, make him a very effective advocate for our work.”

Source: Ethic Now - 10 February 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/bCFfup

Tunisia: Chamber of Deputies ratifies anti-smoking bill

The Chamber of Deputies adopted, on Tuesday, during a plenary session held under the chairmanship of Speaker Mr. Foued Mebazaa, a draft bill providing for Tunisia's ratification of the World Health Organization (WHO) convention aiming at fighting against smoking.

This convention aims at promoting international cooperation in the protection of current and future health, social, economic and environmental effects of smoking.

It deals with the setting up of a series of legislative, executive and administrative measures to reduce the use of tobacco and promote the fight against tobacco marketing.

During the event, Mr. Mondher Zenaidi, Minister of Public Health, stressed that this convention goes with Tunisia's plans to fight against smoking through the implementation of a national legislation in this sector.

He said that the Head of State's initiative to proclaim 2009, as the year to fight against tobacco has been welcomed by the World Health Organization.

The minister added that a new draft law on the prohibition of all forms of tobacco advertising, sales of cigarettes for children in addition to the action plan in collaboration with the Ministry of Education to raise awareness on the effects of tobacco in schools.

Mr. Zenaidi said that the President Ben Ali's initiative to proclaim 2010, as the year to fight against cancer, represents the best opportunity to combat smoking.

Source: All Africa - 10 February 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/aT0yJb

Why bees are partial to coffee and cigarettes - they may be addicted

Many people feel they need a cigarette and a cup of coffee to start the day and now it turns out bees are no different.

The honey-making insects prefer nectar with small amounts of nicotine and caffeine over plain nectar, researchers revealed today.

Flower nectar is primarily comprised of sugars, which provides energy for the potential pollinators. But the floral nectar of some plant species also includes small quantities of substances known to be toxic, such as caffeine and nicotine.

The scientists from the University of Haifa examined whether the substances were intended to 'entice' bees or whether they were byproducts with no particular role.

'This could be an evolutionary development intended, as in humans, to make the bee addicted,' said lead researcher Professor Ido Izhaki.

Nicotine is found naturally in floral nectar mostly in types of tobacco tree, while caffeine is found in citrus flowers - especially those of grapefruit.
In order to examine whether bees prefer the nectar containing caffeine and nicotine, the researchers offered artificial nectar that comprised various natural sugar levels and various levels of caffeine and nicotine, alongside 'clean' nectar that comprised sugar alone.

The caffeine and nicotine concentrations ranged from the natural levels in floral nectar up to much higher concentrations than found in nature.
The results showed that bees preferred the nectar with the highest levels of nicotine and caffeine.

According to the researchers, it is difficult to determine for sure whether the addictive substances in the nectar became present in an evolutionary process in order to make pollination more efficient.

It can be assumed, however, based on the results of the study, that the plants that survived natural selection are those that developed 'correct' levels of these addictive substances, enabling them to attract and not repel bees, thereby giving them a significant advantage over other plants.

The researchers emphasized that this study has proved a preference, not addiction, and they are currently examining whether the bees do indeed become addicted to nicotine and caffeine.

Source: Daily Mail - 11 February 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/d4lEr1

Philip Morris judge to cut $300 million award

A Florida judge said he will throw out a $300 million cigarette injury verdict against Altria Group Inc.’s Philip Morris USA, the largest U.S. tobacco company, according to a person familiar with the matter.

At a hearing on Feb. 5 in Fort Lauderdale, Circuit Judge Jeffrey Streitfeld said the verdict, awarded in November to a former smoker in Florida who suffers from emphysema, was excessive and that he will reduce it [...]. Streitfeld didn’t say when he will announce the smaller award.

The Fort Lauderdale jury awarded Cindy Naugle $56.6 million in compensatory damages and $244 million in punitive damages. The jury found Naugle 10 percent responsible for her injuries, reducing the compensatory damages by that amount.

Naugle started smoking in 1968 when she was 20 years old. The suit followed a 2006 Florida Supreme Court decision that decertified a statewide class-action case and allowed smokers to file individual suits. The $300 million verdict is the largest tobacco verdict in Florida since the decision in the class action, known as the Engle case.

Jack Marshall, a spokesman for Richmond, Virginia-based Altria, declined to comment on the matter.

The case is Lucinda Naugle v. Philip Morris USA, 07-036736, Broward County Circuit Court, Florida (Fort Lauderdale).

Source: Business Week - 9 February 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/ck0VV2

Video: Workers strike in Turkey tobacco row

Thousands of Turkish union members walk out in support of striking workers of the former state-owned tobacco and alcohol monopoly.

[The video can be viewed by clicking on the link below.]

Source: Reuters - 4 February 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/aPrYh9