HEADLINES

• Children hand anti-smoking petition to government
• Scotland: Alcohol and cigarette experts plan summit
• British American Tobacco recognised as NZs worst corporate citizen
• Venezuela cancels smoking ban
• India: Ban on plastic sachets to preserve tobacco products evokes mixed response
• Spain: One million signatures to oppose smoking ban?

• Children hand anti-smoking petition to government

  More than 15,000 people have signed a petition asking the government to make smoking in cars when children are passengers illegal.

  Research by the British Lung Foundation found 86% of children across the UK want people to stop smoking when there are kids in the car.

  Nearly a quarter of eight to 15-year-olds said they were embarrassed to ask adults to put out their cigarettes.

  A group of children have handed in the smoking petition to 10 Downing Street for the Prime Minister to read.

  ITV has a video of the event here and the BBC also offers video material related to the event which can be viewed by following the link below.

  Source: CBBC Newsround - 03 March 2011
  Link: http://bbc.in/hhj3Rc

• Scotland: Alcohol and cigarette experts plan summit

  A major summit organised by Edinburgh anti-smoking charity ASH Scotland and Alcohol Focus Scotland and bringing together experts in alcohol and cigarettes is to take place in Edinburgh later this month on 15 March. 

  Experts said it would be the ideal opportunity for the two issues to learn something from each other, as both pose a major challenge to public health in Scotland.

  Source: The Scotsman - 02 March 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/hFKRuZ

• British American Tobacco recognised as NZs worst corporate citizen

  British American Tobacco (BAT) is the worst transnational company in New Zealand after receiving the annual ‘Roger’ Award at a ceremony in Auckland.

  Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) says this confirms that New Zealand is waking up to the sustained public relations campaigns by the tobacco industry.

  Organised by the Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa (CAFCA), the Roger award is presented to any corporation that is 25 per cent or more foreign controlled and is judged to have the most negative effect on economic matters, people and the environment. 

  Source: Info News - 02 March 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/eD8qri

• Venezuela cancels smoking ban

  Venezuela's Ministry of Health has annulled by decree an anti-smoking law which would have prohibited smoking in public places and offices of work a day after it was published. By contrast to the US, Canada, Europe and Asia, Venezuela is one of the few countries that still allowed smoking in a wide variety of public places, restaurants, bars, nightclubs and stadiums.

  No motive or explanation was given for the sudden annulment.

  In addition to banning smoking, the law would have mandated the obligatory posting of signs indicating: "This is an environment 100% free of tobacco smoke by resolution of the Ministry of Popular Power for Health."

  Source: VHeadline - 02 March 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/i2a2wJ

• India: Ban on plastic sachets to preserve tobacco products evokes mixed response

  Ban on the use of plastic sachets to preserve `pan masala', `gutka' and tobacco products came into effect from Tuesday.

  The ban has evoked mixed response from manufacturers, grocery traders, anti-tobacco organisations and consumers, with some calling it a `draconian' measure while others consider it to be a `blessing in disguise' which could help in curbing the consumption of the harmful products and also help in ending wasteful expenditure.

  On February 17, the Supreme Court had rejected the plea of various gutka, pan masala and tobacco manufacturing companies for postponement of the December 7, 2010 order, banning the use of plastic as packaging material for their products from March 1. The apex court gave the ruling following a report that 86 per cent of oral cancer cases in India were caused by tobacco products.

  The court had listed the matter for further hearing on April 13. 

  Source: Times of India - 02 March 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/gd9c1g

• Spain: One million signatures to oppose smoking ban?

  Business owners in the hostelry sector say they are expecting to collect one million signatures in support of changes to Spain’s no-smoking legislation; a figure which is double the amount needed to petition a debate on the matter in parliament.

  Since the ban was implemented, the hostelry sector has maintained it has had a serious effect on their business, claiming their income has dropped some 15%.

  The Andalucía Hostelry Federation, (FAH) told Europa Press that, in Andalucía, the owner of the now-notorious Asador Guadalmina in Marbella has collected 150,000 signatures and in Córdoba province, the owner of a business in Cabra who is also opposed to the law, has collected 70,000. 

  Source: Leader - 02 March 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/dMABCz