HEADLINES

• Anti-smoking campaigner takes crusade to House of Commons
• An ethical dilemma for pension investors
• Smoking, not HIV disease, is most important lung cancer risk for HIV patients
• Canada: Shisha tobacco should be banned, doctors say
• USA: Philip Morris agrees to pay Oregon $56 million in punitive damages
• New Zealand: Smoking rates among role models high - study

• Anti-smoking campaigner takes crusade to House of Commons

  In a bid to convince MPs that cigarettes should be sold in plain packaging, Adan Loughlin an anti-smoking campaigner has taken his fight to the House of Commons.
  
  The 21-year-old, who has been involved in work to protect children and young people from tobacco harm for several years with the Smoke & Mirrors project, attended a parliamentary meeting.
  
  The all party parliamentary group (APPG) meeting was hosted by charity the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and Action On Smoking And Health (ASH), and was attended by MPs from the North West.

  Source: Runcorn & Widnes Weekly News, 19 January 2012
  Link: http://bit.ly/ACtE58

• An ethical dilemma for pension investors

  A council which came under fire three years ago for investing their pension fund in the tobacco industry still has almost £7 million worth of shares in British American Tobacco.

  The investment by Leicestershire County Council was criticised by politicians and unions who said it was unethical.

  Martin Dockrell, spokesman for anti-smoking group ASH, said: "The council is obliging workers to invest in Britain's biggest killer. There will be people working in the public sector in Leicestershire who have lost family and friends to smoking-related illnesses such as lung cancer who will not be happy with how their money is being invested."

  He said that as sales of tobacco were beginning to fall globally, investing in the industry in the long-term might not generate a decent return.

  Source: thisisleicestershire, 17 January 2012
  Link: http://bit.ly/yFYnCp

• Smoking, not HIV disease, is most important lung cancer risk for HIV patients

  According to a new study in the British Journal of Cancer cigarette smoking, not HIV disease–specific factors, is the most important risk factor for lung cancer in people living with HIV.

  According to the study the strongest associated risk between smoking and lung cancer was among current smokers, who faced a 14-fold increase in the risk of the disease compared with non-smokers. Former smokers had a significantly lower risk of lung cancer compared with current smokers.

  Source: AIDSmeds, 18 January 2012
  Link: http://bit.ly/x6obEU

• Canada: Shisha tobacco should be banned, doctors say

  A group of doctors said tobacco control laws should be extended to cover shisha tobacco and other products that don't fall under existing Canadian legislation.

  Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada want all flavoured tobacco products banned, including shisha, because of their appeal to young people. Shisha, flavoured chewing tobacco and other flavoured products are sold with no warning labels, or with small ones, leading the public to believe they are not as dangerous as cigarettes, the group said.

  Source: CBC News, 17 January 2012
  Link: http://bit.ly/wMOMOm

• USA: Philip Morris agrees to pay Oregon $56 million in punitive damages

  Ending a 14 year battle over damages in the death of a smoker, Philip Morris has agreed to pay $56 million in punitive damages and interest to the state of Oregon.

  An attorney for Philip Morris said the company was giving up its fight after the Oregon Supreme Court refused to reconsider.

  In December, the court ruled that Oregon was entitled to collect punitive damages in the death of retired school custodian Jesse D. Williams, 67, who smoked as many as three packs of Marlboros a day and died of lung cancer in 1997.

  Source: Oregon Live, 17 January 2012
  Link: http://bit.ly/zCcRKb

• New Zealand: Smoking rates among role models high - study

  A new study published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research has found that smoking rates have declined rapidly amongst many occupational groups over the last 25 years. However, among some key 'role model' occupations smoking rates remain high.

  The researchers suggest targeted support to help occupational groups that have high smoking rates should be considered as they may influence children, young adults and smokers - through their position of authority or visibility in the community.

  Source: Voxy.co.nz, 18 January 2012
  Link: http://bit.ly/yiWRQX