Home / Media Room / News / ASH Daily News / ASH Daily News for 18/11/2004 / ASH Daily news for 07 June 2011

ASH Daily news for 07 June 2011

HEADLINES

  • Furore over Durham's tobacco funding for Afghan scholarship

    When Durham University launched an appeal to fund postgraduate scholarships for female students from Afghanistan, the last thing it must have expected was criticism. But despite the successful chancellor's appeal raising more than £600,000, and rapidly being put to use, with two women from Kabul University already enrolled in postgraduate studies at the northern university, the initiative has put Durham at the centre of controversy.

    The reason? £125,000 of the money used to bring the Afghans to the UK was a donation from British American Tobacco (BAT).

    Cancer Research UK, which itself will not financially support institutions working with the tobacco industry – believes Durham may have contravened the World Health Organisation's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

    Those views are echoed by many groups within the university. While Durham's student newspaper, Palatinate, reports that some on campus believe the Afghan education ends justify the means.

    On and off campus, outrage is growing. "Academic institutions should not take funding from any tobacco company," says Martin Dockrell, for the campaign group Action on Smoking and Health (Ash). "The industry has a long record of systematically undermining academic health research – notably on the role of smoking in causing cancer, the addictiveness of nicotine and the effect of second-hand smoke."

    Dockrell adds that BAT could use Durham's acceptance of cash to boost its own credentials. "Internal tobacco industry documents show how the industry uses corporate social responsibility to preserve its 'licence to operate'," he says. "By appearing to be good corporate citizens who advance the education of Afghan women, they will be tolerated despite the harm they cause to health."

    A BAT spokeswoman disputed that claim, however.

    Yet Durham's wider community is also noticing the furore.

    The Durham tobacco funding controversy isn't the first. Back in 2000, Nottingham University's acceptance of £4m in sponsorship from BAT caused a stream of academic resignations as campaign groups said it had sold out by accepting "tainted" money. More recently, contentious donations have included the £1.5m given to the London School of Economics from the family of the Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, which led to the resignation of its director Howard Davies.

    Source: The Guardian - 07 June 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/koDujn

  • Scotland: Public back ban for shops selling cigarettes to children

    Almost nine out of ten Scots back proposals to ban shops from selling tobacco if they let children buy cigarettes.

    A poll by the anti-smoking charity ASH Scotland also found that two-thirds of the public supported a registration scheme for tobacco retailers.

    New laws passed last year will enable shop owners who repeatedly allow tobacco to be sold to children to be fined or banned.

    The law was due to come into force in October, but legal challenges to other aspects of the legislation, including a ban on tobacco vending machines, have delayed its enactment.

    ASH Scotland said its survey showed there was public support for the measures being brought into force under the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Act 2010.

    Source: STV - 07 June 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/kG6C9E

  • Chesterfield: 'Tobacco sellers' in flat robbery

    Police are appealing for information after a man was robbed in his home in Chesterfield.

    The incident happened between 10 and 10.30pm on Sunday in a flat on Cauldon Drive in the town.

    The 59-year-old occupant of the flat allowed two men to visit him after they said they were selling tobacco. While in the flat they assaulted him and stole cash.

    Source: Sleaford Standard - 07 June 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/kiztJ7

  • Actress Hannah Waterman struggles to quit smoking during her pregnancy

    Actress Hannah Waterman was spotted smoking last week during a car journey, despite being seven months pregnant with her and Huw Higginson’s first child.

    “Smoking is a terribly difficult habit to quit and sadly I just fell off the wagon,” the 35-year-old former EastEnder, who has been trying to kick the habit, told The Daily Mail.

    I have been fighting the addiction during my pregnancy but I have sometimes slipped and had the occasional cigarette, but I am trying to quit.”

    Source: Made For Mums - 06 June 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/lnzfSk

  • BAT claims Vogue launch is not a fashion statement

    British American Tobacco has defended itself against claims it has "downplayed" the health risks associated with smoking in favour of the "trappings of style, supermodels and staying slim" for its latest cigarette launch, Vogue Perle.

    Cancer Research UK, doctors and campaign group Fresh, Smoke Free North East said this week they were appalled at reports that BAT was gearing up for its new line to 'take off'.

    "Young women are obsessed with fashion and staying slim and this is exactly the message this pack is trying to give," said Dr Shonag Mackenzie, consultant obstetrician at Wansbeck Hospital in Northumberland. "It is young teenage girls who don't yet smoke but are probably experimenting who are most likely to be influenced by this."

    In response to the criticisms, BAT UK said it did not encourage any individual to start smoking.

    Source: The Grocer - 06 June 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/lmsH9q

  • Malacca becomes Malaysia's first smoking-free city

    The Malaysian world heritage city of Malacca will be smoke-free from June 15, a first for the country, the health minister said.

    The move was to bring in more tourists and help stamp out smoking in a country where the habit is widespread, Liow Tiong Lai told AFP, insisting it would also help preserve the city.

    "The idea is to create fresh air and a clean environment for tourists and Malaysians alike to enjoy the historic city," he said.

    "It will also aid in preserving the old monuments and buildings as the ban will reduce pollution in the area and promote a healthy lifestyle."

    The no-smoking area covers the entire 4.2 square kilometres (1.6 square miles) of the city and four other areas in the southern state of Malacca.

    Source: The Independent - 07 June 2011
    Link: http://ind.pn/jhQ7Ge