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ASH Daily news for 24 March 2011

HEADLINES

  • Tax restructuring will be good for health

    ASH welcomes the decision by the Chancellor to maintain the tax escalator introduced by the previous Government by raising cigarette duty by 2% above inflation. ASH is particularly pleased that the Chancellor has heeded the recommendation of health groups to change the tax structure in order to narrow the gap between the highest and lowest cigarette brands, and between hand-rolled tobacco and manufactured cigarettes, in line with the revised European Union tax directive. This will reduce the likelihood of smokers 'trading down' to cheaper brands and instead should help more smokers to quit. However we are disappointed that he did not accept our recommendation to raise taxes by 5% above inflation which would have been popular with the public.

    Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of ASH said:

    "This modest tax rise is welcome although a bigger increase would have had an even better health outcome. We are pleased that the Chancellor has recognised the importance of raising taxes to drive down smoking.

    To complement the rise in tobacco duty we look forward to the launch of the Government's plans to tackle the illicit trade of tobacco. A strong anti-smuggling strategy is vital to avoid the tax policy being undermined by criminals."

    Links to further coverage:

    The Independent: Cheap cigarettes prompt duty change - http://ind.pn/dHPug5

    The Telegraph: Budget 2011: £7 pack of cigarettes - http://bit.ly/hZGJP8

    The Financial Times: Tweaks to duty hit smokers of cheaper brands - http://on.ft.com/eJ1FKN

    The Guardian: Cost of cigarettes to rise by up to 50p a pack - http://bit.ly/gIjZu0

    Source: MediLexicon, 24 March 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/fy7EWL

  • Imperial Tobacco shares slide on slowing growth

    Imperial Tobacco shares fell by almost 3% after the company said revenue growth would slow.

    The company announced that revenues in the six months to the end of March were expected to grow by just 2%, after a 5% rise in the last three months of 2010.

    Part of the slowdown in sales growth was due to a changing market in Spain. The firm said Spain had continued to be a tough market due to a rise in tobacco duty in December, a ban on smoking in public places at the beginning of 2011, and the continued weakness of the economy.

    Source: BBC News, 23 March 2011
    Link: http://bbc.in/dIoZfB

  • Mums who smoke during pregnancy increase child's smoking risk

    A new study by researchers from the University of Helsinki suggests that prenatal exposure to nicotine may increase the risk of smoking in later life.

    The findings, published in the European Journal of Pharmacology, suggests that adolescents with prenatal exposure to nicotine are more likely to start smoking earlier than their peers born to non smoking mothers.

    Source: GP Online, 21 March 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/iaLZxv

  • Help for Hampshire pupils to quit smoking

    The smoking toolkit for schools includes lesson plans and presentations for pupils, which cover topics including smoking and the related effects on health and the environment, tobacco production and marketing, and the social and economic effects of smoking.

    Neil Luckett, the health improvement partnership and programme manager for NHS Hampshire, said: ‘This toolkit is an exciting development for schools in Hampshire and will fill an important role in ensuring that we are doing all we can to educate and inform young people about tobacco risks and reducing their uptake of the habit.’

    Source: The News, Portsmouth, 21 March 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/hBD62i

  • Australia: Tasmanian Government considers outdoor smoking ban

    The Tasmanian Government has proposed new state laws to ban smoking in all outdoor dining areas, bus malls, playgrounds and public swimming pools.

    The changes are aimed at reducing smoking in Tasmania, which has the second highest number of smokers per capita of all Australian states and territories.

    Health Minister Michelle O'Byrne said the reforms were part of a range of strategies necessary to bring down Tasmania's excessively high smoking rates and reduce the harmful effects of environmental tobacco smoke.

    "Almost a quarter of the Tasmanian adult population continues to smoke, and although this rate has been reducing over time it still compares unfavourably with the less than 21 per cent who smoke nationally," Ms O'Byrne said.
     

    Source: The Mercury, 21 March 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/h9jN2N