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ASH Daily News

28 November 2005

[View html version: http://www.globalink.org/nbuk]

HEADLINES

Total smoking ban is just a matter of time: Health Minister says

Heavy smokers could be denied NHS treatment

Prison cell regarded as a prisoners 'private home'

BAT's Russian revolution


FULL TEXT

Total smoking ban is just a matter of time: Health Minister says


The Health Secretary, Patricia Hewitt, said yesterday that it was 'only
a matter of time' before a total ban on smoking in public places is
introduced.

The Health Bill, which contains smokefree proposals, has its Commons'
Second Reading tomorrow. A number of Labour MPs, who are against the
proposed partial ban, may rebel in favour a total ban.

Speaking on BBC1's Sunday AM programme, Ms Hewitt made clear that she
stood by her belief in a total ban. "There is no doubt at all that a
total ban would be a simpler thing to do," she said. "As I have said
several times before, I think it is only a matter of time before we get
to a total ban."

Ms Hewitt repeated the official line that 99% of people in the workforce
would be in a smoke-free environment by 2007 and that the partial ban
would be reviewed at the end of three years.

Ian Gibson, MP for Norwich North and a GP by training, predicted that
upwards of 40 Labour backbenchers had very strong feelings on the issue
and could rebel.

The evidence of the damage caused by smoking was "irrefutable," he said.

Daily Telegraph 28/11/05
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/11/28/nsmoke28
.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/11/28/ixhome.html

Also reported in the Daily Mirror 28/11/05
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_objectid=16421543%26method=fu
ll%26siteid=94762-name_page.html

Independent on Sunday 27/11/05
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article329585.ece




Heavy smokers could be denied NHS treatment


Patients with illnesses deemed to be 'self-inflicted' could be denied
treatment under guidance introduced by the National Health Service
(NHS). Heavy drinkers or smokers and those people who are overweight
could be refused help.

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) Chairman Sir
Michael Rawlins defended the approach. "Alcoholism rots the liver and if
the patient is going to continue drinking, giving them a liver when
there is already a shortage of organs is not a sensible use of
resources," he said.

Patients' groups have asked who would decide what a 'self-inflicted'
illness was.

Michael Summers, Chairman of the Patients Association said "I find this
whole debate quite disturbing. Is it moral for someone to decide whether
or not you are eligible for treatment in this way?"

The Daily Mail 28/11/05
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in
_article_id=369918&in_page_id=1774&in_a_source=

Also reported in The Sunday Times 27/11/05
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1892738,00.html



Prison cell regarded as a prisoners 'private home'


Prison chiefs warn that they cannot ban inmates from smoking because
their cell is legally regarded as their "private home".

The Home Office minister Fiona Mactaggart told the House of Commons
Health Select Committee last week that the record prison population at
the moment meant that prisons should be exempt from proposed smokefree
legislation as non-smokers would have to share cells with smokers. Staff
will also have to go into smokers' cells.

However the government has been warned that they may face passive
smoking legal claims from non-smoking staff and from inmates forced to
share cells with smokers.

The government's legal advice is that banning smoking in cells would
have the same legal status as banning individuals from smoking in their
own home. The official answer at the moment is that prisoners be
encouraged under the smokefree legislation to "make arrangements to suit
each other" and that nonsmokers would be housed together as much as
practicable.

The Guardian 26/11/05
http://www.guardian.co.uk/prisons/story/0,,1651298,00.html#article_conti
nue




BAT's Russian revolution


For British American Tobacco (BAT) Russia has become a crucial growth
market, with sales volumes almost trebling in just eight years. The
newly-affluent Russians want to be seen enjoying global brands such as
Ford, Sony as well as Marlboro and Vogue. John Taylor, head of BAT
Russia said of foreign brands "if you are not already in Russia, you
have really missed the boat."

BAT has also been able to work out how to access rural customers from
Vladivostok to Siberia through an exclusive deal through the post
office. The post office is often the only retail outlet in many places
and often doubles as a village store. The distribution deal is part of
BAT's plans to knock Philip Morris off the top spot in Russia by 2010.
Philip Morris has 26% of the Russia market share and BAT 20.5%.

Other foreign investors in Russia are also beginning to follow BAT's
footsteps, after the company became the first major overseas business to
open a pension scheme for its members. This means that 3,500 of its
workers are amassing private pension benefits which will help during
their retirement.

The Daily Mail 28/11/05

Also reported in The Times 24/11/05
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,17549-1887739,00.html

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Sarah Ward
Information Manager
Action on Smoking & Health (ASH)
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