Lib Dems "wrong" on tobacco test purchases

Retailers and trade associations have launched a furious challenge against data used by the Liberal Democrats to suggest that 22% of shops are willing to sell tobacco to children.

The party, whose data is based on local authority test purchase results, also alleges that too many retailers "get away" with making underage sales of tobacco and alcohol.

Retailers refute the allegation that they deliberately sell to children, and point out that Trading Standards test purchases are targeted at problem stores.

Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said: "Any test purchase failures are regrettable and every retailer needs to get the best processes and systems in place.

"We have to remember that local authorities tend to test premises where they believe there are problems, so the test purchase failure rates are not based on a representative sample."

Liberal Democrat shadow communities and local government secretary Julia Goldsworthy said she wanted to see a 'one strike and you're out policy' directed against retailers. "Too many shopkeepers are getting away scot-free with selling cigarettes and alcohol to underage children," she said. "We need to send a strong message to those who are ignoring these important age regulations."

Her comments have also been slammed by the Tobacco Retailers Alliance. "The headline of 22% of shops selling tobacco to children is not only misleading, it is inaccurate," said spokesman Ken Patel. "Shopkeepers need to be recognised for the excellent work they are doing in reducing underage sales. Government figures show that youth access to tobacco from shops is at an all-time low, and has decreased significantly in recent years."

Source: The Grocer - 22 January 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/72QpFM

Quitting smoking after lung cancer diagnosis helps survival

Smokers diagnosed with lung cancer should not assume they have been handed a death sentence, as quitting tobacco even at this stage can greatly boost their survival chances, doctors said.

Among those smokers who quit swiftly after diagnosis, 63-70 percent were still alive after five years, a benchmark of survival in cancer research, compared with only 29-33 percent among those who continued to smoke, they said in an online report published by the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

The study, carried out by scientists at Birmingham University, central England, entailed a review of 10 published studies into smoking and cancer survival.

The authors speculate that tobacco smoke may accelerate progression of a tumour, although further work is needed to confirm this.

In any case, they say, the study says that it could be worthwhile for doctors to encourage smokers to give up their habit when diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer.

The link between lung cancer and smoking has been established for more than half a century. Lifelong smokers face a 20-fold risk of developing a primary lung tumour compared with non-smokers, according to a 2003 study.

The BMJ study can be found here.

Source: Yahoo! News- 22 January 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/8yM58Q

Britons eat, drink and smoke their way out of recession

Britain has eaten, drunk and smoked its way out of the recession — and bolstered the country’s troubled manufacturing industry in the process.

That is the conclusion of the CBI, which has reported a sharp improvement in manufacturing in the final weeks of last year. Its industrial statistics show manufacturing production in the past three months rose for the first time since January 2007. The consumer goods sector led the way as Britain made sure that it gave itself a happy Christmas. The food, drink and tobacco manufacturers did best, says the CBI.

Asked whether Britons eating, drinking and smoking their way through the recession is now helping the nation out of the downturn, Ian McCafferty, the CBI’s chief economic adviser, said: “You could say that.”

The extent to how Britain has spent its way out of trouble has been seen at the nation’s top grocers. Sir Terry Leahy, chief executive of Tesco, said a splurge on seasonal fare had brought sales increases of 7.5 per cent at the country’s leading supermarket. “It was a good Christmas for Tesco,” said Sir Terry, who, like the CBI, is predicting that official figures due out next week will show that the UK has officially come out of the recession it has been in since the summer of 2008.

Julian Hunt, at the Food and Drink Federation, said: “The food and drink industry has always acted as a stabiliser in difficult times for the manufacturing sector. And it is proving so again.

“The trends are straightforward. We are all eating in much more and we are eating much more heartily. We are moving away from what has been called healthy food and we are going for comfort food.

“You can see that with the renaissance of retro brands and heritage food like gravy, like pudding mixes, like canned food. And with the cold snaps recently real, hearty food has made a comeback and we are all eating a lot more pies and Yorkshire puddings.”

A survey by The Grocer magazine identified Birds Eye frozen foods, Dolmio pasta sauces, Hovis bread and Quaker porridge among the big brand winners of the recent recession.

Gavin Partington, at the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, said: “The nation has certainly carried on drinking. There has been an emphasis on the value end of the market but, then again, if you are not going out to a restaurant and are instead eating at home there is evidence that people are spending more on their bottle of wine.”

Alex Parsons, of Britain’s biggest cigarette manufacturer, Imperial Tobacco, said that business in Britain had not been this good for years. “What we have seen is a reversal of the trend of people buying their tobacco abroad. The recession has meant a lot less overseas travel, a lot fewer foreign holidays and the UK cigarette market is currently very strong,” he said.

Smokers have been recessionconscious and are trading down to Imperial’s cheap brands such as Lambert & Butler or Richmond, while others have moved on to roll-ups.

The stronger than expected performance by Britain’s manufacturers should help to confirm Britain is out of recession, says the CBI. It is predicting next week’s official statistics will show the economy grew by 0.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2009, the first growth since summer 2008.

“Our view is that the economy is stabilising and returning slowly to growth,” said Mr McCafferty. “These are encouraging figures relative to the bad news we saw throughout 2009,” he said.

But the CBI adviser is warning that after the surge in the Christmas trading quarter for industry there could be a hangover to come, as much of the recovery in manufacturing has been export-led.

“Exports have picked up because of the weakness of sterling and the strength of demand elsewhere in the global economy where much of the rest of the world has emerged from the downturn faster than the UK,” Mr McCafferty said. He added: “The performance of sterling is a risk to an export-led recovery as is what happens in the rest of the global economy.”

Source: Times Online - 22 January 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/5H0VQb

Government of Canada announces project that engages youth in tobacco control initiatives

Mike Wallace, Member of Parliament for Burlington, today announced on behalf of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, just over $230,000 dollars in funding to the Student's Commission of Canada to develop initiatives that will engage youth in tobacco use reduction.

"The Government of Canada remains committed to protecting all Canadians, including youth, from the proven health hazards associated with tobacco use," said Minister Aglukkaq. "Today's funding will help ensure that we are engaging youth in our tobacco use reduction initiatives."

Funding from today's announcement will go towards a project entitled "Youth Action Committee and Young Adult Advisory Committee." The goal of this project is to engage youth in tobacco use reduction initiatives. In addition to coordinating the Youth Action Committee, this project will establish a new national young adult action committee. This will result in the development of a well-informed network of youth and young adults who can provide ongoing advice and feedback to Health Canada on relevant policies and programs.

"Raising awareness about the dangers of tobacco use will better equip youth to make informed decisions about their futures and their health," said Mr. Wallace. "I look forward to seeing the benefits of this project in the months and years ahead."

"It is very important to involve youth in decision-making. Getting youth involved directly with their governments encourages young people to become active citizens and it also helps create programs that are effective and relevant," says Stoney McCart, Executive Director of The Students Commission of Canada. "This project clearly demonstrates the Government of Canada's commitment to keeping young people engaged."

This year, National Non-Smoking Week is taking place from January 17-23. It is a week devoted to preventing people from beginning to smoke and helping smokers quit. The theme this year "Quitting is contagious; pass it on!" recognizes that it is easier to quit smoking with the support of others.

Tobacco use is the single biggest cause of preventable disease, disability and premature death in Canada. It has negative effects on nearly every organ of the body. Every year, at least 37,000 Canadians die from the effects of smoking, while many others are diagnosed with related illnesses such as heart disease, lung cancer and other respiratory diseases.

Source: Marketwire - 21 January 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/5RmQ1J

Stop smoking services target Chorley

Central Lancashire’s NHS Stop Smoking Service has launched a Road to Success campaign specifically aimed at residents of Chorley.

The borough has a higher than average number of smokers at 30 per cent of the population, compared to 21 per cent in England.

The new campaign uses road signs to encourage people to think about starting the journey towards becoming smoke free.

The signs highlight the fact that 62 per cent of people who used the smoking service team for support last year went the distance and gave up smoking.

Tracy Murdoch, NHS Central Lancashire clinical co-ordinator, said: “This is a crucial time of year for those wanting to give up smoking.

"The marketing campaign is designed to communicate how much easier the journey can be with help and also to remind those already trying to quit that despite the awful weather we are still on hand to support.”

[...]

Source: The Citizen - 21 January 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/8fwaI1