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ASH Daily News - Tuesday 27 November 2001

HEADLINES

Imperial Tobacco’s profits up by 11%
Leeds University withdraws funds from tobacco
Shame on Robbie Williams for smoking on TV
Health round-up
Case study of a hospital-based smoking cessation clinic



FULL TEXT

Imperial Tobacco’s profits up by 11%

Imperial Tobacco reported a rise in pre-tax profits from £450m to £494m for the year to September, a rise of 11% overall. However, international sales accounted for the bulk of the rise – by 24% - outstripping UK sales for the first time. The growth in international sales, from £634m to £783m, was helped by the acquisition of Tobaccor, the second-largest cigarette make in sub-Saharan Africa.

Gareth Davis, the chief executive of Imperial, said the rate of decline in the UK duty-paid market had slowed from 10 per cent to less than 5 per cent after increased Customs activity to stop illegal sales, and the impact of the foot-and-mouth epidemic on travelling.

The company increased its UK market share to 41.4 per cent, knocking Gallaher from the top UK position. Mr. Davis declined to comment on speculation about Imperial’s interest in Reemtsma but said that the company had “between six and ten business development opportunities under the microscope”.

Financial Times, Wall Street Journal Europe, and other papers 27/11/01


Leeds University withdraws funds from tobacco

Leeds University is selling its tobacco company shares following a lengthy campaign by students unhappy about the institution’s practice of investing more than £1 million in cigarette companies.

Vice-chancellor Sir Alan Wilson said: “Our decision was made on a matter of principle and in recognition of our social responsibilities.” He said the university had a long-standing policy of not accepting research grants from tobacco companies and the decision to pull endowment funds out of the same companies was an extension of this. About 3 per cent of the university’s £52 million endowment funds are invested in tobacco. The move was welcomed by the student union whose education officer, Joe Calouri, described it as a “monumental decision”. Mr. Calouri said Leeds had taken a national lead by putting ethical considerations and student opinion on a par with the economic consideration that governed previous investment policy.

The Times Higher Education supplement, 16/11/01


Shame on Robbie Williams for smoking on TV

In a letter to the Daily Mail, a chest physician from Wales says that he was shocked to see Robbie Williams smoking during a concert that was shown on TV. “He probably created more smokers in one three-minute song than I can make ex-smokers in my whole career,” said Dr. Hand. The doctor concludes: “Sorry, Robbie, but I hold you responsible for the deaths of many young people in the future.”

Daily Mail, 27/11/01


Health round-up

A number of articles on disorders ranging from diabetes to peptic ulcers note that smoking can either cause or exacerbate the conditions. A report by the British Heart Foundation warns that deaths from heart disease will rise unless urgent action is taken to tackle the increase in diabetes which is forecast to double to 3 million cases by 2010. (Daily Telegraph, Daily Express, 27/11)
Elsewhere, The Times reports on ways that menopausal women can avoid hot flushes – e.g. by stopping smoking; the Daily Express looks at what makes us look old (smoking being a major contributory factor); and also in the Express, a feature on peptic ulcers notes that smoking makes the condition worse.


Case study of a hospital-based smoking cessation clinic

In its “practice solutions” column, the Nursing Times has a feature about the setting up of a smoking cessation service in a Birmingham hospital.

Nursing Times, 22/111/01 p37.




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