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ASH Daily News
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15 December 2004
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HEADLINES
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Government 'too scared' to impose tough smoking ban
Gallaher warns of price rise due to ban
Rumours of Atladis/Imperial merger bolster shares=20
Bootlegs even more dangerous than normal cigarettes, Chancellor warns=20
Ashes to ashes for 105 year old smoker
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FULL TEXT


Government 'too scared' to impose tough smoking ban

The government was today accused of lacking "political courage" for =
failing to introduce a stringent ban on smoking in public places.=20
Anti-smoking campaigners made the accusation after the Scottish =
executive yesterday published the full results of a consultation, which =
showed overwhelming support for a ban on smoking in public places.=20
The level of public support for a ban (80%) in Scotland is in line with =
England, where four in five of the general public also back a smoking =
ban in confined public places.=20
But controversially, the health secretary, John Reid, last month =
announced the government's intention to introduce a more limited smoking =
ban in England as part of a public health white paper, while Scotland is =
to go ahead with a ban in enclosed public places, to come into force by =
2006.=20
Lobby group Action on Smoking and Health said the decision to introduce =
a partial ban in England despite the overwhelming support for an =
outright ban by the general public, showed a lack of "political courage" =
by the government.=20
Surveys carried out by some of the English regions ahead of the white =
paper showed the same level of endorsement for an outright ban as in =
Scotland.=20
"[The regional surveys] did not yield anything different to Scotland," a =
spokeswoman said. "The only difference is political courage."=20
The campaign group pledged to continue to lobby on the issue to ensure =
the Labour government includes plans for a future total ban in its =
election manifesto, she added.=20
Scotland's deputy health minister, Rhona Brankin, unveiled the full =
research and consultation findings which will be used by the Scottish =
executive to outlaw smoking in public places, at an Edinburgh health =
conference.=20
Over 53,474 people have responded to an executive questionnaire issued =
in June, which showed that the large majority of respondents (82%) =
support the view that further action needs to be taken to reduce =
people's exposure to second-hand smoke, with eight in 10 backing a law =
to make enclosed public places smoke-free.=20
A bill to outlaw smoking in Scotland is about to be published, with a =
view to having the legislation in place by 2006 to give businesses time =
to adapt and prepare.=20
The Scottish executive has justified the move to outlaw smoking in =
public places on health grounds. In Scotland 28% of the population =
smoke, with 35 dying every day from the disease, representing over a =
fifth of all deaths.=20
Scotland's plan to outlaw smoking in confined public places follows =
Ireland's ban, introduced earlier this year.=20
Ms Brankin said the ban in Scotland would be "nothing short of a =
transformation". "The evidence supports the decision that's been taken, =
and we know that the measure has significant public support," she said.=20
But while the London mayor, Ken Livingstone, has signed up to a smoking =
ban for the capital, together with Liverpool and Manchester councils, =
England has fallen short of applying the the principle of outlawing =
smoking in confined public places.=20
Under government plans outlined in last month's public health white =
paper, private clubs and establishments serving only cold foods will be =
exempt from the ban, despite much clamour from healthcare professionals =
and trade unions.=20
Of the questionnaire results published so far from the English regions =
survey, the number of respondents who want enclosed public places to be =
smoke-free were as follows:=20
=B7 London 74%=20
=B7 East Midlands 87%
=B7 North-west 80%=20
=B7 South-west 86%
=B7 East England 80%.

Source: Guardian, 14 December 2004
Article link: =
http://society.guardian.co.uk/publichealth/story/0,,1373354,00.html=20


Gallaher warns of price rise due to ban
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Britain's third largest tobacco group, Gallaher, warned that the smoking =
ban would reduce sales and force them to increase the price of their =
cigarettes. =20
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In a trading statement Gallaher claimed that the ban in all workplaces, =
restaurants and pubs serving food, to be in effect by 2008, "goes beyond =
what the public says it wants.
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The right balance should be struck between sensible regulation and =
voluntary measures that accommodate smokers and non-smokers alike."
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The Tobacco giant predicts that the ban "may have an incremental impact =
on total duty-paid market volumes up to and after 2008" and is turning =
its attention to emerging markets in Eastern European countries.
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Improving sales in the Commonwealth of Independent States, where total =
group volumes are up 6.5 per cent to 73.6 bn cigarettes, have helped =
offset a 2 per cent fall in UK volume.
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In Ireland, where a ban has been in place since March, Gallaher reported =
that market volumes had declined by 10.7 per cent, but noted that it =
was hard to separate the effect of recent duty rises from the effect of =
the ban.

Source: Evening Standard, 14 December 2004, Daily Star, Financial Times, =
15 December 2004
Article link: =
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/b8773628-4dbc-11d9-a423-00000e2511c8.html=20


Rumours of Atladis/Imperial merger bolster shares
The Financial Times reports that shares in the Franco-Spanish tobacco =
group Atladis hit an all time high following merger talks with Imperial =
UK. Both companies denied that they were involved in talks. If they =
were to merge it would create the world's fourth largest cigarette =
manufacturer. =20
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Imperial and Atladis are already linked through a manufacturing =
agreement in the Canary Islands and Imperial has made little secret of =
its desire to secure a European acquisition.
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The FT's sister paper in Spain, Expansion, reports that executives from =
both companies are exploring a merger as a defensive move against a =
possible hostile takeover.
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Source: Financial Times, 15 December 2004=20
Article link: =
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/9204d3fa-4e3f-11d9-9351-00000e2511c8.html =20
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Bootlegs even more dangerous than normal cigarettes warning
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A new campaign to warn smokers of the health risks of counterfeit =
cigarettes will be launched today.

Although black-market cigarettes may look identical to those purchased =
legitimately over the counter, they contain higher amounts of damaging =
toxins, the Government will warn.

They have higher levels of tar, nicotine and carcinogenic chemicals from =
contaminated tobacco leaves and could put the health of smokers at risk.

The trade in cheap packets, which are sold mainly in pubs, is also =
funding organised crime, the Government says.

The counterfeit cigarettes, which are made in places such as China and =
eastern Europe, are emanating predominately from international organised =
crime gangs.

The black market trade has exploded over the last two years, is worth =
=A3500 million and makes up 15% of the UK market.

The Government will also reveal that every packet of cigarettes sold in =
certain areas of London and Manchester is bootlegged.

The campaign will aim to encourage smokers to boycott black-market =
cigarettes.
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The Sun reports that 'the Chancellor will claim that smokers' health is =
in peril thanks to the =A3500million trade'.=20


Source: The Sun, The Scotsman, 15 December 2004
Article link: http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3D3888134 =20
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In response to these claims of a risk to smokers' health, ASH director =
Deborah Arnott said "All cigarettes are dangerous, not just those =
produced and sold illegally."=20
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Ashes to ashes for 105 year old smoker
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Marie Ellis, who lived to 105 and who is estimated to have smoked =
500,000 cigarettes, was buried yesterday, with a packet of fags in her =
hand and a wreath of flowers in the shape of a cigarette. =20
Maria Kallis, matron of Eaton Lodge in Westgate, Kent, said: "We all =
remember Marie for smoking, so we are getting a concrete ashtray out in =
the garden as a memorial to her.

"She smoked right up to the end, having her last cigarette just two days =
before her death."=20

Marie, who never married or had kids, also delighted in an unhealthy =
diet.

She always had three sugars in her coffee, loved a drop of sherry and =
scoffed sweets and cakes - often refusing to eat savoury food.=20

She had all her teeth and never even suffered as much as a smoker's =
cough from her ciggies.=20

Mrs Kallis said: "Our doctor used to raise his arms in bewilderment when =
he came to see her.=20

"He'd say, 'Don't encourage her' - but she defied all medical reasoning.

"She had a lovely send-off. A couple of people had a smoke outside the =
chapel in her honour both before and after the service."

Source: The Sun, 15 December 2004
Article link: http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2004580818,00.html
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