HEADLINES

• Kent: More than 1,000 smokers fined in littering clampdown
• Wales: Plea for smoking action
• Australia: Plain tobacco packs influence teens: study
• High amounts of heavy metals found in China tobacco
• Eight in 10 Greeks violate smoking ban

• Kent: More than 1,000 smokers fined in littering clampdown

  Smokers say they are being unfairly hounded by a council “cigarette police force” which has issued more than 1,000 fines in under three months.

  While none could argue with the basic principle behind the council’s push to stop people dropping cigarette butts around the town, some smokers believe the enforcement officers are stepping over the line and employing unfair tactics in the battle against littering.

  New figures show that since the launch of the No Ifs No Butts campaign in July this year, 1,233 fines have been issued, making the council a whopping £92,475. Of those, 97 per cent were issued to smokers.

  Source: Kent Messenger - 07 October 2010
  Link: http://bit.ly/9Oxe6Y

• Wales: Plea for smoking action

   Plaid health spokeswoman Helen Mary Jones has called for a campaign on second-hand smoking.

  She has called on the Assembly Government to raise public awareness over the dangers.

  Source: This is South Wales - 08 October 2010
  Link: http://bit.ly/b7bbII

• Australia: Plain tobacco packs influence teens: study

  Plain packaging of tobacco may discourage teenagers from smoking, says new research presented at an international conference in Sydney.

  Preliminary findings from focus group interviews with 14-15 year-olds in Auckland, New Zealand, show that plain packs:

  - increase attention to the graphic warnings;
  - increase overall perceptions of smoking harm; and
  - reduce the social appeal of smoking.

  The finding contradicts tobacco industry claims that plain packaging "won't work". 

  Source: Medical News Today - 07 October 2010
  Link: http://bit.ly/apqbAj

• High amounts of heavy metals found in China tobacco

  Some Chinese cigarettes contain amounts of lead, arsenic and cadmium that are three times higher than levels found in Canadian cigarettes, a study has found.

  While consuming such heavy metals is widely known to be harmful to health, there is little research done so far about their impact when inhaled into the body.

  The searchers analysed 78 varieties of popular Chinese cigarette brands and found significantly elevated levels of heavy metals, with some containing three times the levels of lead, cadmium and arsenic compared with Canadian cigarettes.

  Source: Reuters - 07 October 2010
  Link: http://reut.rs/aX1G8e

• Eight in 10 Greeks violate smoking ban

  Greeks are largely ignoring a new smoking ban, lighting up in restaurants and bars despite threats of fines on Europe’s heaviest smokers.

  The new Socialist government hoped fines would work after a partial ban in 2009 was largely ignored, but the law is being flouted, again.

  Source: Toronto Sun - 07 October 2010
  Link: http://bit.ly/dh1IMO