HEADLINES

• Australia: Taxpayers $1.1 billion bill up in smoke
• India: Non-smoker Finance Minister spares cigarettes from excise hike
• Costa Rica: Health Ministry calls for strict anti-smoking legislation
• New York City: Campaign to educate about effect tobacco industry has on youth
• USA: Alleged stubbed cigarette lands Maine man in jail

• Australia: Taxpayers $1.1 billion bill up in smoke

  Organised crime gangs are running illegal tobacco importing businesses costing taxpayers $1.1 billion in missing excise revenue every year, a report has found.

  Smokers are buying so-called "chop chop" tobacco because it is significantly cheaper than legal tobacco, according to the Deloitte report. Tobacco manufacturers, who have resorted to using private investigators to track down illegal sellers, are demanding authorities do more to crack down on the criminal trade.

  Commissioned by Australia's tobacco companies, the Illicit Trade of Tobacco in Australia report found 2.7 million kilograms of illicit tobacco was bought last year, equivalent to 15.9 per cent of the tobacco market, up from 6.4 per cent in 2007.

  "The estimated 2.7 million kilograms of illicit tobacco consumed represents foregone tobacco excise revenue of approximately $1.1 billion," it found.

  Source: (Australian) Daily Telegraph - 01 March 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/fEu7N4

• India: Non-smoker Finance Minister spares cigarettes from excise hike

  Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who quit pipe-smoking several years ago, has spared the tobacco industry -- a prime source of raising revenue for the exchequer -- by not raising excise duty on cigarettes in the budget proposals for 2011-12.

  This is the first time in many budgets that excise duty on cigarettes has not been hiked.

  Following the announcement, ITC, the largest manufacturer of cigarettes in the country, saw its shares soar 8.33%.

  Source: Sify Finance - 28 February 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/hDu7Nd

• Costa Rica: Health Ministry calls for strict anti-smoking legislation

  The anti-smoking bill was the topic of debate last Monday in the Legislative Assembly commission in Costa Rica. The bill has been weakened with an amendment, which violates the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, that will allow for special sectioned off smoking areas in bars, clubs, restaurants, and other businesses.

  The Health Ministry, the public, and many anti-smoking groups are demonstrating strong support in favor of the original outright ban on smoking in public places.

  The bill will be up for debate again once it leaves the Legislative Assembly commission.  

  Source: The Costa Rica News - 28 February 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/f0c1OF

• New York City: Campaign to educate about effect tobacco industry has on youth

  An innovative media campaign has begun to educate New Yorkers about the effect that tobacco industry products and marketing in stores have on youth smoking.

  The Community Partnerships for a Tobacco Free New York campaign reflects research that in-store marketing is more powerful than peer pressure, and youth are twice as likely as adults to be influenced by tobacco product displays and other marketing.

  For more information, visit TobaccoFreeNYS.org

  Source: NCNow News - 27 February 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/hrCI0c

• USA: Alleged stubbed cigarette lands Maine man in jail

  A 21-year-old Maine man faces charges for allegedly stubbing out a cigarette on his sister's face after she got angry with him for taking too much of her loose-leaf tobacco.

  Source: WLBZ2 - 28 February 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/f2Q6rk