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ASH Daily News

20 October 2004

HEADLINES

Treasury facing legal action over Channel shopper fines
Ban up in smoke?
Other people's smoke is no joke
Policeman caught with "bootleg" haul
Anti-smoking vote
Altria boosted by international sales
I won't quit!



FULL TEXT

Treasury facing legal action over Channel shopper fines

Frits Bolkestein, the European Union international market commissioner
is expected to initiate legal proceedings against Britain over its
"disproportionate" treatment of cross channel shoppers.

It is believed that Commissioner Bolkestein has lost patience with what
he termed "foot dragging" by the Treasury. He had requested detailed
plans of how Gordon Brown's department intended to end the practice,
aimed at customers importing alcohol and cigarettes to sell to friends.

The move will annoy the Chancellor who had offered to end the practice
of automatically seizing cars of first-time offenders who bring back
cigarettes and alcohol to sell on a non-profit basis.

Source: Financial Times, Guardian, Independent, Daily Express, (20th)
Evening Standard (19th) October 2004


Ban up in smoke?

There is continued speculation that Health Secretary John Reid refusing
to bring about a total ban on smoking in public places.

His refusal to budge on the issue came after a leaked Government report
revealed passive smoking is deadly.

A "massive" 82 percent of daily Star readers said smoking should be
banned in pubs, restaurants and workplaces - just like Ireland.

Dr Reid declared: "I will not transpose automatically what other
countries have done. We have our own way of doing things."

Ministers will publish their public health White Paper next month.

Source: Daily Star, Morning Star, 20 October, 2004


Other people's smoke is no joke

The latest Government report into the perils of passive smoking,
together with the opportunity afforded by the forthcoming health White
paper should provide the Health Secretary with the opportunity to do
more about smoking in public places, writes a GP.

However, Dr Mark Porter, commenting in the Evening Standard has doubts
as to how far the Health Secretary will go. "Breathing other people's
smoke increases the risk of heart disease and lung cancer", he states
"and growing up in a smoky household dramatically increases the chances
of cot death, asthma, bronchitis and middle ear infection."

Dr Porter goes on to argue that regardless of the relative vested
interest parties - the tobacco industry which makes billions selling
cigarettes, and government's billions via taxation and the anti-smoking
campaigners on the other divide, "only a fool would argue that inhaling
other people's smoke is anything but harmful."

Source: Evening Standard, 19 October 2004


Policeman caught with "bootleg" haul

A long-serving police officer in one of the Channel ports yesterday
admitted smuggling thousands of cigarettes into the country.

Sergeant Boyd Adams was allowed to take early retirement shortly after
his arrest last year after serving 29 years with the police. He was
caught returning to Britain with 20,000 cigarettes and a supply of
hand-rolling tobacco.

The former custody sergeant at Folkestone police station was stopped by
Customs officials when he went to board a Eurotunnel train at the
terminal near Calais in January last year.

Sentencing at Maidstone Crown Court was adjourned until January.

Source: Daily Telegraph, Daily Express, 20 October 2004


Anti-smoking vote

A cross-party alliance of Liverpool councillors is due to vote tonight
for the port to become the country's first smoke-free city, despite
resistance from publicans.

If the vote is passed, the council will petition Parliament to ban
smoking in shops, offices, restaurants, pubs and enclosed public places.

Source: The Times, 20 October 2004


Altria boosted by international sales

Falling Marlboro cigarette sales in France and Germany hit an otherwise
strong third quarter at Altria, where smokers in developing countries
continue to offset declines in the west.

The US conglomerate said net earnings grew 6.3 percent to $2.65bn, an
8.5 per cent increase in revenues to $22.73bn.

Overall, international cigarette sales continue to compensate for the
gradual decline in US sales, which fell 1 percent to 48.3bn cigarettes
in the third quarter.

Source: Financial Times, 20 October 2004


I won't quit!

Ahead of the European Commission's proposal to publish graphic images on
cigarette packets, a commentator in the Glasgow Herald is not convinced
the initiative will persuade smokers to quit.

"Scare a smoker and all you'll end up with is a scared smoker smoking
more", Hugo Rifkind claims.

Source: The Herald (Glasgow)


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Harold Wilson
ASH
102 Clifton Street
London EC2A 4HW
http://www.ash.org.uk
Tel: 020 7739 5902