HEADLINES

• Littering and cigarette butt fines down 85% in Liverpool
• Somerset smoker finally quits . . . after more than one million cigarettes
• Imperial Tobacco profits rise but volumes fall
• Australian smokers believe health warnings exaggerated
• Russia pledges to cut number of smokers by 2050

• Littering and cigarette butt fines down 85% in Liverpool

  The number of fines slapped on Liverpool litterbugs has fallen by up to 85% in the past three years.

  Figures disclosed under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act show that in 2008 the council issued 469 penalty notices for littering, but by this year that had fallen to just 76 – a decrease of 84%.

  While the council said the figures showed people were getting the message that littering was unacceptable and were changing their ways, members of the opposition said residents' complaints about dirty streets were increasing.

  The figures also reveal that the council has consistently issued more penalty charges for dropping cigarette butts than other general littering, giving out 3032 in 2008 but only 467 this year – a decrease of 84%.

  The income from cigarette littering peaked at £120,975 in 2009, but this year the sum was only £15,765.

  Source: Liverpool Echo - 25 July 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/oj9gdd

• Somerset smoker finally quits . . . after more than one million cigarettes

  Heavy smoker Pete Balding has finally quit after almost 50 years – and more than one million cigarettes.

  Pete, 61, has puffed up to 100 fags per day since he was a schoolboy aged only 11.

  For most of his life, he went through a full packet of 20 before 10am and another two packets during his working day. He would then smoke up to 40 after work and at his local pub near Bridgwater.

  But against the odds Pete, who has tried to quit since he was 18, has finally stubbed out his final cigarette. He now uses tar-free electronic cigarettes.

  Pete was introduced to cigarettes by his older brother when he was at school. But his habit developed into a full-blown addiction when he started work aged 16.

  Since then, he has never gone a waking hour without lighting up. He would typically smoke between 60 and 100 cigarettes a day.

  The addiction also led to the break-up of six relationships because his girlfriends hated his ''yellow fingers and stained teeth''.

  Source: This is Somerset - 25 July 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/n85Dop

• Imperial Tobacco profits rise but volumes fall

  Imperial Tobacco Group PLC has said that emerging market demand boosted tobacco sales, but the maker of Gauloises Blondes and JPS cigarettes nonetheless recorded a fall in overall volumes as the slowdown in mature markets continued.

  Imperial is focused on building its position in developing economies such as Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia to offset a weaker performance in developed markets where consumers are struggling with tough economic conditions.

  Smokers in developed markets are switching to low-cost brands in the face of dented discretionary income as governments impose austerity measures such as tax hikes and public spending cuts to rein in borrowing.

  The Bristol-based company has offset falling sales with price rises which have helped maintain and build margins in markets like Western Europe and the U.S., where volumes are either in long-term decline or at best flat.

  The world's fourth-largest global tobacco group by revenue said it is trading in line with expectations and posted a 2% rise in global tobacco sales in the nine months to June 30

  Source: Market Watch - 26 July 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/rmi1al

• Australian smokers believe health warnings exaggerated

  A new survey has found nearly one-third of smokers believe the health effects of smoking are exaggerated.

  And fewer than four out of 10 smokers are able to identify emphysema as a health effect of smoking.

  The Cancer Council, Victoria survey of 861 smokers found:

  32 per cent of smokers believe the health effects of smoking have been exaggerated;

  37.5 per cent of smokers name emphysema or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) as being a health effect of smoking.

  Source: The West Australian - 24 July 2011
  Link: http://yhoo.it/o3VhzZ

• Russia pledges to cut number of smokers by 2050

  Russian President Dmitry Medvedev wants to cut the number of smokers by 10 to 15 percent by 2050. Those are huge ambitions considering 40 percent of Russians light up.

  The article explores why it is still so popular to smoke in the former Soviet Union. 

  Source: The Irish Sun - 25 July 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/qoSKtb