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ASH Daily News
15 November 2001


Headlines

European Parliament to vote on cigarette taxes
Salesman sacked for smoking away from work
Leeds University to go ethical


Full Text


European Parliament to vote on cigarette taxes

The Wall Street Journal Europe reports that a European Commission proposal to raise the minimum cigarette excise tax is likely to face opposition when Parliament votes on it this afternoon. Some parliamentarians are expected to try and use an obscure procedure to force the commission to withdraw it.

If the proposal is approved, it would require member states to charge at least €60 per 1,000 cigarettes which would raise the price of a pack of cigarettes in Spain, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Luxembourg. The commission argues harmonisation of taxes would eliminate the incentive for smugglers who buy smokes in low tax countries and hawk them illegally in high tax countries.

The tobacco industry appears to be lobbying parliament to have the proposal rescinded. However, when questioned on whether they are actively trying to influence the vote, their response remains caged. Philip Morris International offered: “We’ve been talking to people throughout the process.”

Source: Wall Street Journal Europe, 15 November 2001



Salesman sacked for smoking away from work

Several newspapers report on a salesman who claims that he lost his job after just two days when his new boss found out that he smoked in his free time.

Mark Hodges, 41, who was paid 41 for Boxes and Packaging, says he did not smoke on the premises or in his company car. Despite this, he claims, the company’s managing director terminated his employment with a months wages in lieu of a notice when he discovered that he was a smoker in his spare time.

The company Boxes and Packaging has not made any comments to the media. Forest, a pro-smoking group have taken charge of highlighting Mr Hodges plight. Simon Clarke, director of Forest said Most people understand restrictions or bans at work but to refuse to employ a smoker is taking things too far.

ASH maintains that Mr Hodges case depends entirely on Mr Hodges employment contract and whether the situation was spelt out to him. Clive Bates, director of ASH said: “This is a quirk. The case detracts from the wider and more important issue of smoking in the workplace where employees and are exposed to passive smoking.”

There is no law in Britain stopping an employer sacking a worker for smoking at home. The law does not cover discrimination against smokers as it does for sex race and disability. As such, a company has the right not to employ smokers and some already do. The practice is more prevalent in the US. Companies that ban smokers argue that their performance can suffer from withdrawal symptoms, lack of concentration and time spent off sick.

Source: Financial Times, The Times, Daily Express, Daily Mail, 15 November 2001



Leeds University to go ethical

Following a campaign that won their student newspaper first prize for campaigning newspaper in the Independent/NUS’s media awards, Leeds University has adopted an ethical policy. Last week it said it would no longer invest in tobacco.

Around 2 percent of the university’s £52m endowment is invested in tobacco.

“We would like to acknowledge the important role played by our students in reaching this decision,” said the vice-chancellor Sir Alan Wilson.

Source: The Independent, 15 November 2001






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