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ASH Daily News

Tuesday 26 October, 1999

Headlines

Heart attack threat to young women smokers
France counts cost of alcohol and tobacco culture
New Internet attempt to avoid Customs
More coverage of tobacco companies last gasp push on tobacco ads

Full Text

Heart attack threat to young women smokers

More than 400 young women smokers have heart attacks each which could
be prevented if they did not smoke, according a study published in the
BMJ Journal Heart. 100 of these heart attacks are fatal.

Dr Margaret Thorogood, a co-author of the report, said: “The results
are very striking. We knew that smoking is associated with heart
disease but it was a shock to see such a very important risk in women
so young. Clearly, smoking catches up with young women very fast.

Amanda Sandford, of ASH, said in the Telegraph, “There is a common
misconception that smoking causes disease only in old people. This
demolishes that myth.”

The research found that the risk of heart attack depended upon the
number of cigarettes smoked a day. Women who smoked up to five
cigarettes a day doubled the risk and smokers of 40 cigarettes a day
increased the risk by 75 percent.

Dr Dunn the main author of the report can be contacted:
ndunn@dsru.u-net.com

Source: The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Express, 26 October
1999

Link:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=000659276559150&rtmo=lQbPQlFt&atmo=lQ
bPQlFt&pg=/et/99/10/26/

France counts cost of alcohol and tobacco culture

‘The social cost to France of the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and
illegal drugs is more than £21bn a year, according to an official
study published yesterday’ writes Paul Webster.

25 percent of the French are addicted to tobacco products. About £375
was being spent per head, to treat the problems from alcohol and
tobacco. These figures included medical treatment, lost productivity,
absenteeism, uncollected taxes, unpaid health contributions and
preventative measures. The figure excludes the cost of alcohol-related
crime and road accidents.

Source: The Guardian, 26 October 1999

New Internet attempt to avoid Customs

A new Internet site plans to get around Customs & Excise tax rules by
giving away 200 cigarettes if you buy a lighter for £24.99. 200
cigarettes would cost about £38 on the UK high street. The site
http://www.freefags.com is the idea of Chris Brooks, who plans to post the
cigarettes from Spain, where excise duty is a fraction of the British
rate. Mr Brooks added “It’s just for a month. I doubt if we’ll get
away with it for too long as Customs won’t like it.”

Custom’s response so far has been to say, “duty should be paid on
these cigarettes” because they did not conform to its definition of a
gift. Custom’s added “Consumers are aware of these sites and so are
we”.

Source: Daily Telegraph, 26 October 1999

More coverage of tobacco companies last gasp push on tobacco ads

Dominic Mills, editorial director of Campaign Magazine, charts the
vast expenditure of the tobacco companies before the ban on billboards
and magazine tobacco advert comes in on December 10.

He predicts that the real battle for market-share will be at the
‘economy’ brands end of the market rather than the premium priced
cigarettes.

He offers a ‘chilling thought: the more you restrict advertisers
freedom of movement, the more creative they become’.

Source: Daily Telegraph, 26 October 1999


Karl Brookes
Project Manager
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