HEADLINES

• Ferrari reveal new logo design
• New style 'stop smoking' sessions
• Northamptonshire: Can we stop our lethal lifestyles?
• Ireland: Cigarettes worth over €3m seized in Meath
• Austria: Opposition parties want smoking referendum

• Ferrari reveal new logo design

  Ferrari have changed their controversial racing team logo, with the new design to come into force from January 1 next year.

  The team were recently criticised regarding the barcode emblem that had previously adorned their cars and is still on display on the team uniform.

  Given Formula One's ban on tobacco advertising, angry lobbyists claimed the barcode was too closely associated with Marlboro cigarettes, the primary brand of sponsors Philip Morris.

  It resulted in Ferrari stripping the barcode from their cars ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona in early May as it had been prominently on show on the engine cover.

  The new arrangement is more angular in shape, and still bears the trademark Prancing Horse and the words 'Scuderia Ferrari'.

  At the unveiling inside the team's motorhome in the Silverstone paddock ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix, team principal Stefano Domenicali said: "All the activities relating to the racing department will use this logo.

  "It will be on the cars, uniforms, drivers' overalls and Ferrari driver academy activities."

  Regarding Philip Morris, Domenicali added: "We share with our main sponsor all our graphics, and this is something we have done together.

  "I can confirm our team name will still be Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro. There will be no change."

  Source: The Press Association, 10 July 2010
  Link: http://bit.ly/c3VLqt

• New style 'stop smoking' sessions

  A new style of Stop Smoking Service is being launched in Wychavon. The new 12 week support programme, organised by Wychavon Leisure and Elgar Healthcare, is being rolled out first in Droitwich and later this year in both Evesham and Pershore.

  The sessions are different as they are held at community centres, sports centres and workplace settings rather than traditional healthcare settings such as GP surgeries.

  Although the services in Evesham and Pershore are not in action yet, people who want to be involved can put their name down to be involved.

  Source: Evesham Journal, 11 July 2010
  Link: http://bit.ly/9aPmVL

• Northamptonshire: Can we stop our lethal lifestyles?

  Smoking and drinking too much alcohol are two of the main causes of the top killers in Northamptonshire.
  
  As part of this year's annual report on public health by Professor Stephen Horsley, director of public health for NHS Northamptonshire, plans have been outlined to try to help tackle them and help people change their lifestyles to be healthier.
  
  In the report, Dr Horsley says deaths from the main killers – cancer, heart disease and strokes – are mostly affected by lifestyle behaviours, although "deaths vary unequally across the county".
  
  He said: "Those in the most deprived fifth of the population are twice as likely to die from smoking as those in the least deprived fifth.
  
  "This equates to an extra 121 deaths a year that could have been prevented in our most deprived areas."
  
  He said there are also differences between male and female deaths, which would be examined as part of their work to improve the county's health.
  
  He said: "There are differences between male and female deaths. These are mainly due to previous differences in lifestyle behaviours, for example lung cancer in men is the second biggest killer, whereas for women it is the fifth biggest killer, which is mainly caused by previous smoking.
  
  "We need to understand these differences and plan our services to meet the different needs of males and females."
  
  In the report, Dr Horsley says people living in urban areas and in the most deprived areas have an increased risk of dying from cancer.
  
  He said: "There are pockets of significantly higher deaths in the districts of Northampton, Corby and Kettering compared to the rest of the county.
  
  "We need to understand why this is happening and take action to reduce these inequalities."

  Source: Northantset, 12 July 2010
  Link: http://bit.ly/9z42E5

• Ireland: Cigarettes worth over €3m seized in Meath

  Customs officials and gardaí have seized cigarettes in Co Meath with an estimated street value of more than €3 million.

  Some eight million cigarettes were seized in a warehouse in the Ashbourne area on Saturday night following a surveillance operation.

  The goods had earlier entered through Dublin Port from Rotterdam, and it is believed that they originally came from Asia.

  After the cigarettes, which are a brand not sold in Ireland, were found, the container in which they were held was returned to Dublin Port.

  It is believed the cigarettes were destined for the UK market.

  Retailers Against Smuggling, the representative group for Ireland’s tobacco retailers, praised the customs service but said more needed to be done.

  Spokesman Benny Gilsenan said: “All we are getting are empty promises and a failure to act by the Government. National and international criminals are, on a weekly basis, taking advantage of our failure to punish smugglers.

  “Cigarette smuggling is perceived as being a victimless crime but it is having a detrimental affect on the Irish retailer. We need greater collusion between all stakeholders – this is the only way we can tackle the issue effectively,” he said.

  “As a group, we, the Irish retailer, lost almost €700 million for 2009 in tobacco sales despite the increased number of seizures last year. Until the Government starts to hand out appropriate sentences, Ireland is going to continue to be a target for the illegal cigarette trade . . . The legitimate Irish retailer cannot cope with the situation at present,” Mr Gilsenan said.

  Retailers Against Smuggling recently claimed cigarette sales in shops had fallen 40 per cent in a year after in-store tobacco ads were banned. Mr Gilsenan said the year-old order had normalised criminal trade in contraband tobacco.

  Kathleen O’Meara of the Irish Cancer Society said: “Tobacco smuggling is most significantly undermining efforts by the Government to protect young people from the dangers of smoking and organised crime.”

  Source: Irish Times, 12 July 2010
  Link: http://bit.ly/bA0H00

• Austria: Opposition parties want smoking referendum

  Austrian opposition politicians called on the Austrian government to hold a referendum over smoking in pubs and restaurants.
  
  This comes after the majority of citizens in the German State of Bavaria supported a total smoking ban in locals and eateries.
  
  Greens, Freedom Party (FPÖ) and the Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) showed rare unity in appealing on Social Democratic (SPÖ) Health Minister Alois Stöger to scrap the existing ruling and hold a referendum.
  
  Austrian gastronomy bosses face fines up to 10,000 Euros if they ignore the law which went into force on 1 July. The federal ruling says venues smaller than 50 square-metres must decide between becoming a smokers’ facility or a non-smoking area.
  
  Pubs and restaurants bigger than 50 square metres must provide non-smoking rooms. Owners were informed of the measures in January 2009 when the law was introduced, while the interim ended this month. Around 75,000 pubs, discos and restaurants are affected.
  
  Most of the groups representing the interests of smokers meanwhile acclaimed the law, claiming it left people with enough options of where to go.
  
  Stöger made clear he was in favour of a full non-smoking ruling, stressing that FPÖ and BZÖ smokers’ lobbyists were too powerful to make it work.
  
  FPÖ said they were in support of a referendum held on the issue as it regarded itself as a party which generally welcomes the involvement of people in political decision-making.
  
  BZÖ boss Josef Bucher said he feared public offices will be flooded with people reporting gastronomy managers allegedly ignoring the new law.
  
  Greens chief Eva Glawischnig said she expected many people to ignore the ruling and continue to smoke everywhere.
  
  Austria has one of the highest numbers of smokers in Europe.
  
  The health minister rejected appeals for a referendum, "I’m not in favour of the idea. Polls have shown that two thirds of Austrians are happy with the current ruling," he said.
  
  Political magazines meanwhile speculate Stöger is facing the axe after the provincial elections of Styria and Vienna this autumn as the SPÖ considered replacing a number of unpopular government members.

  Source: Austrian Times, 12 July 2010
  Link: http://bit.ly/cRWuUi