HEADLINES

• What’s the cost of smoking whilst pregnant?
• Fire caused by a discarded cigarette leaves woman homeless
• Dubai: Survey to help draw up plan to stub out smoking
• Australia: Cigarette packaging appeal expedited
• Plain Packaging argument

• What’s the cost of smoking whilst pregnant?

  Last week a young mum bragged about smoking 3,500 cigarettes whilst pregnant with her daughter claiming it would make her heart stronger.
  
  Although most women know that smoking can harm their unborn baby, some mums-to-be find it incredibly difficult to give up during pregnancy. This can lead to premature birth or even miscarriage.
  
  Caroline Evans, from anti-smoking charity Quit, said: "Research shows that cigarette smoking is harmful to a woman's ovaries. It can cause a woman's eggs to be more prone to genetic abnormality and increase the risk of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy."
  
  Caroline adds: "Almost everything that can go wrong with a baby, such as being stillborn, the victim of cot death or being born with deformities is significantly increased if the mother smokes during pregnancy."
  
  Research suggests smoking by pregnant women causes about 300 completely avoidable stillbirths, 2,200 premature births and 5,000 miscarriages a year.
   

  Source: The SUn, 09 June 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/m2oAQh

• Fire caused by a discarded cigarette leaves woman homeless

  A shocked woman has praised the Red Cross for coming to her aid after a Poole flat fire left her homeless.
  
  Adele Lewis was one of four people who escaped the Herbert Avenue blaze last month which is believed to have been started by a discarded cigarette.
  
  Firefighters were able to save the property, but it sustained serious damage.
  
  She recalled "At one point when I saw the smoke, I thought I wasn’t going to make it out. It was frightening. It was really hard to get the door open, as I think it had become warped in the heat."

  Source: Bournmouth Echo, 08 June 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/jalgP4

• Dubai: Survey to help draw up plan to stub out smoking

  A senior executive from the World Health Organisation (WHO) said a nationwide survey will be conducted this year to help plan the fight against tobacco use in the country.

  She said the scientific survey will be conducted across UAE and Qatar in 8,000 households. The survey will be held in November to December and hand-held devices will be used.

  "Smoking is unfortunately still socially acceptable in the UAE and the Arab World," said Dr Fatima Al Awa, regional adviser for the tobacco free initiative programme at the World Health Organisation.

  The doctor, who is also an adviser at the regional office for Eastern Mediterranean, said she hoped that the UAE will soon make it mandatory to have graphic warnings on cigarette packs.

  She said the UAE is close to raising excise duty on cigarettes. A pack of cigarettes costs only Dh4 to 7 in the UAE at present.

  Source: Gulf News, 09 June 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/k1rk6O

• Australia: Cigarette packaging appeal expedited

  British American Tobacco (BAT) has won the right to bring forward the date of an appeal it hopes will provide it access to legal advice obtained by the federal government about the plain packaging of cigarettes.

  The Federal Court in Melbourne heard the advice had been sought when legislation similar to the Gillard government's plain packaging proposal was being considered by the Keating government.

  The company said the advice concerned the conformity of the proposed legislation with Australia's international obligations. It argued that it needed to see the advice in order to participate in public debate about the proposal.

  The government has refused to release the legal advice through Freedom of Information processes, a position supported by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

  The appeal was to be heard by the Federal Court in November, but BAT Australia requested the hearing be brought forward to August.

  Peter Hanks QC, for the government, did not oppose the expedition but said there were "good reasons" why his client believed it should exercise its right to withhold the information.

  Justice North brought the matter forward to August but said an earlier date would depend on the court's availability.

  "I am conscious of the consideration that part of the right which the appellant seeks to assert will disappear forever if that expedition is not accorded to it," he said.

  Source: Sydney Morning Herald, 07 June 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/mGnsh6

• Plain Packaging argument

  Simon Chapman, Professor & Director of Research at Sydney School of Public Health refutes arguments presented by the tobacco industry on plain packaging.

  Source: Crikey, 09 June 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/kdkONA