ASH Daily News for 21 March 2011
HEADLINES
- Tobacco companies cry Wolf: Chancellor urged not to cave into industry threats over smuggling
- EU: Governments need to improve smoking cessation services, smokers say
- Derbyshire: Campaign for smoke-free homes
- USA: Menthol tobacco firm shares soar on FDA announcement
- Hong Kong: Smoking group fumes over tobacco tax call
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Tobacco companies cry Wolf: Chancellor urged not to cave into industry threats over smuggling
A submission to the Treasury in advance of next week's Budget by ASH and the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies (UKCTCS) endorsed by 68 health organisations has urged the government to stick to its principles and increase taxation on tobacco well above inflation. Putting prices up through taxation is, to quote the Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer, Kenneth Clarke, in his budget speech in 1993, "the most effective way to reduce smoking".
Professor Lindsey Davies, President of the Faculty of Public Health, one of the leading organisations which endorsed the submission said:
"The Government's commitment to improve the health of the poorest fastest is to be applauded but unless smoking rates amongst the poorest decline significantly it has no chance of success. Work at local level by councils and Directors of Public Health to support and motivate smokers to quit must be backed up at national level by making smoking less affordable. This means increasing taxes now and doing more to tackle smuggling."
The tobacco industry claims that the rate of smuggling and the volume of contraband sold on Britain's streets increases when excise duty goes up. But health groups argue that controlling tax fraud is a law enforcement issue and that cracking down on smuggling, not cutting taxes is the way to bring it under control.
Dr. Casey Quinn, health economist with the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies at the University of Nottingham, commented:
"In this harsh economic climate, raising tobacco taxes above the rate of inflation provides an important incentive to quit smoking, as well as raising much-needed cash for Government and measures to help smokers quit. Controlling smuggling and increasing tobacco duties should be a key Government priority as this will lead to a win-win situation: increased revenue and reduced costs to the health service as smokers quit and smoking-related diseases decline." Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of ASH said:
"Every year the industry trots out the same argument that putting up taxes increases smuggling. Since the Government implemented its anti-smuggling strategy there has been a steady decline in the illicit market of cigarettes while at the same time, taxes have increased and smoking rates have fallen. The real reason the industry fears a tax rise is because it helps smokers quit."
Source: Medical News Today, 18 March 2011
Link: http://bit.ly/fWQwxA -
EU: Governments need to improve smoking cessation services, smokers say
Over 78 million smokers in Europe want to quit but half (50%) of those surveyed who have tried to quit rate smoking cessation services as inadequate, poor or unacceptable, according to new research released today.
Amongst healthcare professionals (HCPs) surveyed, 87% believe this support for smokers should be provided by primary care physicians. However, over half of physicians (55%) believe primary care HCPs lack the educational support to deliver these services effectively.
These findings form part of research commissioned by Pfizer, which examines attitudes to smoking and smoking cessation amongst 2,482 HCPs, 20,010 smokers and 22,683 non-smokers across 20 European countries.
Services and support are key to helping smokers quit and to helping governments who have signed up to the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) meet their commitments to drive tobacco use down.[iii] When it comes to investment in improving smoking cessation services there is strong support from HCPs, non-smokers and smokers alike. 68% of non-smokers and 51% of smokers surveyed across Europe believe governments should invest more in bringing smoker numbers down, rather than in treating the health problems resulting from smoking.1 This is echoed by HCPs surveyed, 88% of whom believe it is the government's responsibility to improve infrastructure that supports smoking cessation.
With just under half (48%) of smokers surveyed citing cost as the biggest barrier to seeking professional help to quit,1 funding for services and treatments is needed to encourage smokers to access the support available. Four out of 10 smokers say funding of smoking cessation treatments would encourage them to access support services.1 HCPs are also supportive of funding for smoking cessation treatments with over three quarters (77%) surveyed saying that smokers trying to quit should be reimbursed for clinically proven medications.
Professor Luke Clancy, Chairman of the Tobacco Control Committee, European Respiratory Society (ERS) said: "Tobacco use is one of the biggest public health problems but stopping smoking is a significant challenge. Nicotine is highly addictive, similar to and in some ways more addictive than 'hard' drugs such as heroin or cocaine. However studies show that even a brief conversation with a clinician could double a smoker's chances of quitting successfully. If we're to drive down deaths from tobacco use we must respond to the call to action from HCPs for better education to improve the chances of a smoker quitting successfully when they utilise these services."
Source: Medical News Today, 21 March 2011
Link: http://bit.ly/fiNxM3 -
Derbyshire: Campaign for smoke-free homes
Susan Rose is supporting the Smoke Free Homes and Cars NHS campaign, which aims to cut the number of people breathing in secondhand cigarette smoke.
She has been given training ready for the launch of the scheme later this year.
Susan, 52, volunteered to become a trainer after hearing about the scheme through her role as an NHS Health Champion at Heanor's William Gregory Leisure Centre.
She said: "I personally don't like smoking. It's other people's choice if they do but the aim of this programme is to minimise the risk to others. After doing the training, I know that if people come and ask for help I've got a little bit of knowledge that can help me to signpost them on."
The campaign is being run by NHS Derbyshire County and aims to protect the health of children and expectant mothers.
It follows research which showed children are more likely to start smoking if they grow up in homes where people do so.
Susan is one of dozens of health professionals and volunteers to have taken part in training in Erewash, Bolsover and Alfreton.
The goal is to recruit 300 trainers before the programme is launched.
Eventually, the programme will extend across the whole of Derbyshire.
The campaign has also been given the backing of Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service because smoking in the home carries a fire risk.
Source: thisisderbyshire, 21 March 2011
Link: http://bit.ly/gAPzfB -
USA: Menthol tobacco firm shares soar on FDA announcement
Shares in tobacco firm Lorillard closed up 10.6% at $87.11 after fears of a US ban on menthol cigarettes were reduced.
A report by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) called for more research before a decision could be taken, rather than saying a ban would help improve public health.
Lorillard owns the best-selling Newport menthol cigarette brand.
MF Global Holdings analyst Mark McMinimy said it was "very unlikely" the FDA would ban menthol cigarettes.
"If you're calling for more research, how can you call for something like removing menthol cigarettes from the market, which seems very final?"
A draft report had included the following phrase from an advisory panel: "Removal of menthol cigarettes from the marketplace would benefit public health in the United States."
Menthol cigarettes make up almost a third of the $83bn US cigarette market, according to Euromonitor International.
Lorillard's Newport brand accounts for 85% of the company's sales.
External advisers to the FDA had found that the availability of menthol cigarettes "increases initiation and reduces cessation".
In 2009, cigarettes with chocolate, cherry, vanilla and other flavours were banned.
Source: BBC News 18 March 2011
Link: http://bbc.in/i0483y -
Hong Kong: Smoking group fumes over tobacco tax call
About 200 demonstrators tied green ribbons and staged a sit-in outside SAR government headquarters calling on Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah not to back down on his proposal to increase tobacco tax.
The Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health supports Tsang's budget proposal, announced last month, to increase the tax by 41.5 percent in the name of a smoke-free and healthy environment.
The demonstrators, including members from the School of Public Health and School of Nursing of the University of Hong Kong, each tied a green ribbon to a plastic "smoke- free tree."
The number of smokers aged between 15 to 29 has fallen by 10 percent since the tax increase in 2009, showing it deterred people from smoking and encouraged those who do to find ways to quit their habit, COSH said.
The tobacco tax is especially effective in preventing young smokers who are sensitive to price, it added.COSH also estimates up to 380,000 smokers will die prematurely if they do not quit immediately.
Meanwhile, words were exchanged between demonstrators and four members from Momentum 107 - a group that opposes the tobacco tax.
Momentum 107 convener Raymond Ho Man-kit said despite the tax increase two years ago, the number of smokers has actually risen, showing the move has failed to break the habit.
Ho also said the tax will only encourage the purchase of illicit cigarettes and benefit cross-border smugglers.
The tobacco tax will not be part of the budget proposal expected to be passed on April 13.
However it will be subject to scrutiny by members of a Legislative Council subcommittee and lawmakers may vote for or against it on May 4.
Source: The Standard (Hong Kong) 21 March 2011
Link: http://bit.ly/dLGVGH
