BAT wins landmark $1.8bn UK case

British American Tobacco (BAT) has been awarded a preliminary judgment by the UK High Court that it has overpaid tax to the tune of £1.2bn ($1.8bn) to the UK Government on dividends received from its European subsidiaries.

The UK's HM Revenue and Customs office and the Treasury are now deliberating over whether a full refund should be made to BAT, or whether it should take the case on appeal to the UK courts - or the European Court of Justice.

If the UK Government chooses the latter route, then the case will not be heard for at least four years.

Source: Trend News, 30 November 2008
Link: http://tiny.cc/CEJXP

Young adults’ perceptions of smoking actors

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of portrayed smoking status of actors on their popularity with both smoking and non-smoking young people, as well as their perceptions of the prevalence of smoking.

Design/methodology/approach – Two experimental studies were conducted with Australian undergraduate university students, in which students were exposed to different versions of mock magazines featuring images of actors smoking and not smoking, as well as control actors.

Findings – The attitudes of young people towards well-known actors were little influenced by the presence or absence of cigarettes, but non smoking actors were perceived more favourably when depicted in a group with smoking actors. Smoking actors tended to be preferred by young people who smoked. The results of both studies confirm that young people’s estimates of smoking prevalence are considerably inflated.

Originality/value – The results of the current study suggest two key implications for health education: the need to address young people’s elevated perceptions of smoking prevalence among their peers, parents, and celebrities by communicating the social norm of non-smoking; and the potential use of celebrities – such as actors – as spokespersons or role models in anti-smoking campaigns.

Source: Sandra C. Jones, John D. Rossiter, Health Education, 2008 Volume: 108 Issue: 6
Link:  http://tiny.cc/QrNjR

MP smokers to be given special shelter

Complaints from smokers in Parliament about having to light up outside during London's freezing winter have prompted plans for a House of Commons smoking shelter. Workers and politicians in Westminster only have a limited number of places to smoke since the smoking ban. Fierce conditions during the winter have made daily puffing routines anything but pleasant.

The issue has been raised on numerous accounts, and now English Heritage, the Westminster city council, and the Commons Administration Committee are working on plans for an affordable and simple Pugin-style smokers' sanctuary. Promising to be the "Taj Mahal of all smoking shelters," as one MP put it, the design style is named after Augustus Pugin, the architect of the Houses of Parliament.

A budget has yet to be fixed for the project, though the excited boasts hyping the space as Britain's first "neo gothic smoking shelter" show fervent interest in the task.

Source: politics.co.uk, 26 November 2008
Link: http://tiny.cc/a3511

Thousands of tobacco workers protest EU subsidy cuts

Almost 10,000 tobacco and farm workers descended on Brussels on the 19th November to protest against plans to cut back their subsidies from the European Union. The demonstrators, many from Italy, France and Poland, gathered outside the European Council building in the Belgian capital's European quarter, as the EU's 27 farm ministers met inside to discuss the agriculture budget.

"We are all going to work in Denmark," said one banner from Italy, Europe's main tobacco producer, in reference to the European Commission's Danish farm commissioner, Mariann Fischer Boel. The demonstrators want the current subsidy system to continue until 2013, which they consider to be key to the survival of a tobacco sector employing around 100,000 producers and 400,000 seasonal workers in Europe.

The new reform plans, devised in 2004, would de-couple the amount of farm subsidies paid from the quantity of tobacco produced, which in concrete terms would lead to a cut in funds. "There are 9,800 people who have made the trip to Brussels," said organisers of the protest, which was generally calm and also included farmers from Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Portugal and Spain.

The commission, the EU's executive body, said that it would be prepared to help tobacco producers in Europe whose livelihoods are endangered by the cut in subsidies, but made no mention of prolonging the current system.

Source: EU Business, 19 November 2008
Link: http://tiny.cc/HFqlK

BAT reveals new approach to engaging consumers

British American Tobacco (BAT) International unveiled a series of new initiatives at TFWA World Exhibition with which it aims to attract travel retail consumers – including the use of personal service in-store, allied to new merchandising and products. At Cannes 2008 the company showcased initiatives that included matching products to consumers’ scent preferences in the Vogue range, new high-tech products from Kent and new merchandising and packaging for Dunhill.

BAT’s ‘Private Viewings’ at Cannes showcased how the company is aiming to 'challenge the category' to engage with consumers in travel retail. Among the major initiatives is an emphasis on drawing potential shoppers into the category through creating a 'complete experience', including the use of personal consultants to guide consumers.

Innovations such as personal 'concierge' service for shoppers and its impressive new merchandising range will be used selectively among key accounts over the year ahead, BAT said, with Zürich Airport likely to be among the first locations. Also in Cannes the company revealed new packaging across much of its core range, from Kent to Dunhill to Vogue.

From Kent comes Kent Nano Compact, a 7mg line extension of the hugely successful Nanotek launch. BAT showcased a new merchandising unit for Kent, with the option for consumers to ‘pick and mix’ with the aid of a brand ambassador. Its showcasing unit also includes high-quality sliding shelves to house cartons.

From Dunhill comes new, premium packaging, plus a new 10mg blend, Fine Cut Black. The Dunhill range will also benefit from a series of eye-catching merchandising displays and wall bays, which can be adapted for use in travel retail stores. An interactive display showcases the premium Dunhill brand, and offers selected retailers a strong, "high-end" merchandising concept that more closely resembles the showcasing of "high-end" malt whisky than traditional cigarette display.

Finally BAT showcased new presentations for its Vogue brand, targeted at adult women smokers. The company has worked with various artists to create special packaging for its Vogue Ephemère line, which will be changed every six months – via spring and autumn editions. These editions will be exclusive to travel retail for a period before entering domestic markets.

Source: The Moodie Report, 24 November 2008
Link: http://tiny.cc/IAJeS

Exposure to second-hand smoke reduced: New estimate of annual clinical burden and cost of coronary heart disease treatment attributable to passive smoking

As the connection between second-hand smoke and coronary heart disease (CHD) became clearer and legislation was passed to reduce such passive smoking, exposures have been reduced. In an article published in the January 2009 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, Partners Healthcare, Boston and Columbia University have recalibrated the CHD Policy Model to better predict future trends in CHD.

At 1999–2004 levels, passive smoking caused between 21,800 and 75,100 CHD deaths and between 38,100 and 128,900 myocardial infarctions annually. Treatment costs ranged from $1.8 to $6.0 billion per year. If recent trends in the reduction in the prevalence of passive smoking continue from 2000 to 2008, researchers predict that the burden would be reduced by approximately 25%–30%.

The CHD Policy Model is a computer simulation of CHD incidence, prevalence, mortality and costs in the US population aged >35 years. Using data from a variety of sources, such as the US Census, the Framingham Heart Study (FHS), the Framingham Offspring Study (FOS), the National Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey (NHANES), the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) and the Year 2000 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), the researchers updated the Model to better predict how reduced second-hand smoke may reduce CHD.

Writing in the article, James M. Lightwood, PhD, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of California, San Francisco, states, “Exposure to passive smoking has been reduced by 25% to 40%, and its burden has been reduced by between 25% and 30% over the last 8–10 years, but the burden remains substantial…The future burden of passive smoking may be driven mainly by political and legal processes to ban smoking in public areas and the workplace as well as campaigns to encourage smoke-free homes.”

Source: Lightwood, J.M. et al, Coronary Heart Disease Attributable to Passive Smoking: CHD Policy Model, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Volume 36, Issue 1 (January 2009)
Link: http://tiny.cc/JxyEo

Cheaper brands and Altadis boost Imperial Tobacco

Imperial Tobacco posted annual earnings towards the top end of forecasts, helped by cash-strapped smokers switching to its cheaper brands and the smooth integration of its purchase of rival Altadis. The world's fourth-biggest cigarette maker, with brands including Lambert & Butler, West and Gauloises, said earnings per share before goodwill and one-offs rose 15 percent to 136.9 pence in the year to September 30.

Imperial said good performances in eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East were complemented by market share gains in the European Union, where it benefited from a strong presence at the cheaper end of the market. "The economy sector has grown as consumers down-trade to cheaper brands and products and this trend is likely to continue in the current economic climate," Chief Executive Gareth Davis told reporters, adding the group had high hopes for a new low-price brand, JPS Silver, launched in the UK three weeks ago.

Source: Yahoo Finance, 25 November 2008
Link: http://tiny.cc/RlhML

You Smoke - I Choke!

Tuesday 2nd December saw the launch of a new Channel 4 program, Battlefront - a series of documentaries made by young campaigners on issues they are passionate about.

Airing at 11:30am each week day, last Tuesday's slot was taken by Zander Percival, a young campaigner dedicated to reducing the harm caused by tobacco. 'You Smoke - I Choke!' follows his fight to ban smoking in cars carrying children under the age of 16.

Zander says of his campaign: "I was seriously ill at age 7 as a result of car smoke. I got stuck in traffic trapped in a friend’s parent’s car. They chain-smoked and I had asthma attacks and was vomiting for three days afterwards. It was very stressful and my mum felt horribly guilty as we didn’t know they smoked.

"Some countries already ban smoking in cars but in the U.K. we don’t. It’s unfair to children who have no voice or choice. I’m campaigning to get the law changed. As far as I know no-one else in England is campaigning about this. There are so many powerful anti-smoking campaigners and organizations out there. And then there’s me. I am just a small fish in a big pond. But sometimes a small fish can make a big difference."

Source: battlefront.co.uk, 02 December 2008
Link: http://tiny.cc/u4tYi

Cigarette fire safety standards gain ground in Europe

International standards ensuring cigarettes are designed with a reduced risk of them causing fires are being taken forward in Europe, with the European Commision requesting a technical guideline by 2010.

This would be approved by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) whose European standard would try to ensure a "reduced ignition propensity of cigarettes." The goal, said a CEN statement, "is to reduce the deaths, injuries, and damage caused by unattended cigarettes".

CEN is still considering whether to take on the job (although it is expected to). If it does, the committee said it would ask the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) to take the lead, because it is already developing such a standard for use worldwide.

The move comes as Finland has drafted a national regulation that would ensure an existing self-extinguishing cigarette standard - created by US-based ASTM International - tests all cigarettes sold in the country regarding their likelihood to cause fire in bedding and upholstered furniture. This standard is ASTM E2187, already adopted nationawide in Canada and a majority of USA states.

"By using the international standard ASTM E2187 to measure the ignition strength of cigarettes, the Finnish government is taking action to help prevent fires and save lives," said ASTM International President James A. Thomas.

Source: World Tobacco, November 2008

US: Reynolds focuses on new products as market changes

Reynolds American Inc hopes newer products like dissolvable tobacco strips and tobacco pouches called snus will boost future profits in a U.S. market where cigarette smoking has been declining for years. The maker of Camel cigarettes and Grizzly smokeless tobacco emphasized new product development in a meeting with analysts. The company is preparing for a likely increase in the federal excise tax on cigarettes in 2009 and coping with a slumping U.S. economy that has already pushed some consumers to move down to lower-priced tobacco products. "The migration from combustible products to smokeless products is already underway and we see it accelerating," Chief Executive Susan Ivey said, referring to the move from cigarettes.

Reynolds, like rival Altria Group Inc and other tobacco companies, has been testing new forms of smokeless tobacco products to attract new consumers. The company plans to launch Camel snus nationwide in 2009 and to begin test-marketing dissolvable tobacco sticks, strips and lozenges in three cities at about the same time. One potential target for dissolvable tobacco could be women, who have traditionally been resistant to using other forms of smokeless tobacco.

But even as it looks to develop products that could help future profits, Reynolds is also looking at a tough U.S. economy in the present. "We still see total tobacco as relatively resistant to this recession," Ivey said. But she also noted some consumers have been trading down to less expensive products.

With the election of Barack Obama to be the next U.S president and even stronger Democratic majorities in Congress, Ivey said an increase in the federal excise tax is likely, though she was not sure by how much, or when. With more states facing budget shortfalls, tax increases on tobacco by the states could also be on the horizon.

But Ivey noted that some states that have increased cigarette taxes have lost revenue as consumers have moved to the Internet or neighboring states to buy their smokes.

Source: Reuters, 17 November 2008
Link: http://tiny.cc/10tAG

Systematic review of the relation between smokeless tobacco and cancer of the pancreas in Europe and North America

Abstract (provisional)

Background: Recent reviews claiming smokeless tobacco increases pancreatic cancer risk appear not to have considered all available epidemiological evidence; nor were meta-analyses included. We present a systematic review of studies from North America and Europe, since data are lacking from other continents. Risk is also difficult to quantify elsewhere due to the various products, compositions and usage practices involved.

Methods: Epidemiological studies were identified that related pancreatic cancer to use of snuff, chewing tobacco or unspecified smokeless tobacco. Study details and effect estimates (relative risks or odds ratios) were extracted, and combined by meta-analyses.

Results: Nine North American and two Scandinavian studies were identified. Reporting was limited in four studies, so only seven were included in meta-analyses, some providing results for never smokers, some for the overall population of smokers and non-smokers, and some for both. Giving preference to study-specific estimates for the overall population, if available, and for never smokers otherwise, the random-effects estimate for ever smokeless tobacco use was 1.03 (95% confidence interval 0.71-1.49) based on heterogeneous estimates from seven studies. The estimate varied little by continent, study type, or type of smokeless tobacco. Giving preference to estimates for never smokers, if available, and overall population estimates otherwise, the estimate was 1.14 (0.67-1.93), again based on heterogeneous estimates. Estimates varied (p=0.014) between cohort studies (1.75, 1.20-2.54) and case-control studies (0.84, 0.36-1.97). The value for cohort studies derived mainly from one study, which reported an increase for never smokers (2.0, 1.2-3.3), but not overall (0.9, 0.7-1.2). This study also contributed to increases seen for snuff use and for European studies, significant only in fixed-effect analyses. The studies have various weaknesses, including few exposed cases, reliance in cohort studies on exposure recorded at baseline, poor control groups in some case-control studies, and lack of a dose-response. Publication bias, with some negative studies not being presented, is also possible.

Conclusions: At most, the data suggest a possible effect of smokeless tobacco on pancreatic cancer risk. More evidence is needed. If any risk exists, it is highly likely to be less than that from smoking.

Source: Zheng Sponsiello-Wang et al, BMC Cancer 2008, 8:356
Link: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2407/8/356/abstract

Secretary of State gives evidence on health inequalities

The Secretary of State for Health Alan Johnson has given evidence to the Health Select Committee on health inequalities. He frequently mentioned smoking and tobacco to illustrate his points and identified smoking as the major cause of health inequalities. A number of specific areas in relation to tobacco control were picked up on:

There was a discussion of current quit targets and whether the current 4 week quit target is adequate. Johnson supported the 4 week target saying it was sufficient to predict future behaviour and the burden for extending the data to cover 6 months could be too onerous. The DH Permanent Secretary, Hugh Taylor, agreed that 6 months quit data would not add significant value to the 4 week data and that a more important priority was reliable local prevalence data. It was agreed that the DH would report back to the committee on the evidence base for 4 week quit targets over 6 month quit targets.

Revision of the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) for GPs was raised. The Health Minister was asked whether consideration had been given to replacing the existing measure of recording a patient’s smoking status with a measure which recorded whether referrals had been made or suggested to specialist stop smoking services. Johnson said the committee had made a “powerful point” and that they were “looking at this specifically for our discussions on next year’s QOF”.

The committee asked whether the DH were looking at how better NRT products could be available to smokers to give them a stronger hit of nicotine which more closely resembles smoking. The committee suggested that this was something the pharmaceutical industry had concerns about due to the implications of individuals becoming addicted to pharmaceutical products. The Minister and the Permanent Secretary said this was not something they were aware of but they would look into it and share the information with the committee.

Smuggled tobacco was also mentioned with the Minister being asked if he supported cross departmental working and new targets for HMRC and the Boarders Agency. The Minister agreed that smuggling was an important issue and a priority and confirmed that departments were working closely together on this issue. He did not explicitly support new targets saying: “I’m not sure about whether a target would be helpful – its not within my gift.” He was also asked about discussions in relation to track and trace technologies and the Committee chair offered to share a paper with him on the subject.

A link to the full evidence session is available here: http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/VideoPlayer.aspx?meetingId=2859&rel=ok the section dealing specifically with tobacco comes towards the end.

Source: Smokefree Action, 19 November 2008
Link: http://tiny.cc/g1DaM

EU considers regulating polonium in cigarettes

The European Commission is considering whether to regulate the contamination of cigarettes with polonium 210, the highly radioactive substance used to murder former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko.

Officials are reacting to research produced in the American Journal of Public Health confirming that trace elements are found in tobacco leaves used to make cigarettes. Brussels is not thought likely to control its presence through the European Union 2001 Tobacco Ingredients Directive, but may mandate that labelling warns consumers of its presence.

A Commission official said: “We are still discussing the issue and it will take a long time. We know about the presence of polonium in tobacco; the question would be “is there a need or no need for labelling?” She said that a key consideration would be whether warning smokers about polonium would scare them away from tobacco, which Brussels would view as positive: “Would it maybe prevent people from smoking? The Commission is in favour of that, so would it be useful and needed or not?”

Such labelling could require a change in the Directive since it was designed to regulate artificial additives, whereas polonium occurs naturally in tobacco leaves and is therefore technically impossible to remove, noted the official.

Source: World Tobacco, 21 November 2008
Link: http://tiny.cc/g2lkw

Lambert & Butler finalists at pro Carton/ECMA awards

The 12th annual Pro Carton / ECMA Awards took place at the Cavern Club in Liverpool in September. The entry level was high with 120 entries.

The carton designed by Alcan packaging for Lambert and Butler, with the hologram effect, were finalists within the tobacco category. The project involved close partnership from design concept to completion between Imperial Tobacco Group, Alcan Packaging Bristol and API and resulted in the production of a "visually outstanding tobacco packaging product", according to World Tobacco. It is the first time that retrogravure printing technology and in-line embossing and cuting and creasing has been used in conjunction with a registered holographic laminate for the tobacco market.

Packaging is increasingly being used as a form of advertising, providing essential brand and product information at the point of sale. Cartons have been found to offer a distinct advantage in getting products recognised on the shelf and increase the likelihood of being purchased.

Source: World Tobacco, November 2008

Molecular switch in brain may end smokers' cravings

Blocking a neuropeptide receptor in the brain may be one way to quickly lessen the desire for a cigarette, a new study suggests. Hypocretin-1, or Orexin A, a short chain of amino acids found in nerve tissue, appears to initiate a series of closely linked biochemical reactions that makes lab rats crave nicotine, the addictive chemical in tobacco, according to researchers at the Scripps Florida research institute in Jupiter.

If duplicated in humans, the finding could be lead to new smoking-cessation treatments, the researchers said. "Blocking hypocretin-1 receptors not only decreased the motivation to continue nicotine use in rats, it also abolished the stimulatory effects of nicotine on their brain reward circuitries," study leader Paul Kenny, a scientist at Scripps Florida, explained in a news release issued by the institute. "This suggests that hypocretin-1 may play a major role in driving tobacco use in smokers to want more nicotine. If we can find a way to effectively block this receptor, it could mean a novel way to help break people's addiction to tobacco."

In the study, the researchers blocked the hypocretin-1 receptor with low doses of the selective antagonist SB-334867, a commercially available compound often used in research.  The results of the study were published in an online early edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, released last month.

The findings might explain why some human smokers spontaneously quit smoking after suffering brain damage in a small area of their frontal cortex. Hypocretin-1 receptors are found in the insula, a walnut-size part of the frontal lobe of the brain, the researchers said. Previous Scripps research found that hypocretin-1 receptors also play a central role in regulating relapse in cocaine addicts.

Cigarette smoking accounts for about 440,000 deaths and $160 billion in health-related costs annually in the United States. Only about 10 percent of smokers who attempt to quit manage to remain smoke free after one year, the researchers said.

Source: healthfinder.gov, 24 November 2008
Link: http://tiny.cc/GvLpO

PQ: Deaths from fires

Andrew Rosindell (Shadow Minister, Home Affairs; Romford, Conservative): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent steps have been taken to reduce the numbers of accident-related fire deaths.

Sadiq Khan (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Community Cohension and Fire and Rescue Service), Department for Communities and Local Government; Tooting, Labour): The Government are committed to reducing preventable fire deaths and injuries from fire. Fire deaths in the home in the UK are at their lowest since the 1950s, and the long-term trend is downwards—in 1997 in England, 362 people died in house fires, compared to the current figure of 233 fire deaths in the home in 2006.

Source: Hansard Source – 18/11/2008 Column 386W
 

PQ: Smoking and young people

Michael Penning (Shadow Minister, Health; Hemel Hempstead, Conservative): To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the police are able to take to prevent the purchase of tobacco on behalf of those under 18 years of age.

Dawn Primarolo (Minister of State (Public Health), Department of Health; Bristol South, Labour): From 1 October, 2007, it has been illegal to sell tobacco to young people under 18. This was an increase from the age of 16. Trading Standards Officers rather than the police have responsibility for enforcing the law on age of sale of tobacco.

Hansard Source 24/11/2008 – Column 935W

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government is taking to prevent the purchase of tobacco on behalf of those under 18 years old.

Dawn Primarolo: Preventing the purchase of tobacco by young people under 18 is one of the Government's top priorities. We recently consulted on the issues in a major public consultation on the Future of Tobacco Control, a copy of which has already been placed in the Library. The issue of purchasing tobacco on behalf of under-18s was raised in the consultation.

Hansard Source – 24/11/2008 Column 935W

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of raising the legal age at which tobacco can be purchased on rates of smoking among young people.

Dawn Primarolo: Reducing the number of young people who smoke is a top priority for the Government. We raised the age of sale to 18 on 1 October 2007. It is still too early to assess the impact of the change on smoking rates of young people. However, data collected in the winter of 2007 following the introduction of the ban showed smoking levels fell from 9 per cent in 2006 to 6 per cent in 2007. However, we cannot be sure what proportion of this was due to the additional restrictions on age of sale.

Hansard Source – 24/11/2009 Column 935W

Source: Hansard

Out of Sight,Out of Mouth?

The scene is the same in most convenience stores: rows of cigarette packets stocked behind the cashier, for sale to anyone 18 and older. In Britain, it is a sight that could be about to disappear. The government is weighing a ban on the display of cigarette packets in all stores, forcing shopkeepers to store them out of view.

Cigarette displays, could vanish if the antismoking lobby has it sway. Action on Smoking and Health, an antismoking group, says the government could introduce legislation calling for a ban as soon as Wednesday 3rd December, when Parliament opens. A government spokesman declined to comment on a possible ban, which would add to a prohibition on smoking in almost all workplaces, including restaurants and bars.

Attractive-looking packets are one of the few remaining options tobacco companies have to appeal to smokers in the developed world, where cigarette advertising is heavily restricted. But bans against store displays are relatively rare. Iceland, Thailand, the British Virgin Islands and some Canadian provinces prohibit cigarette packets from being displayed in shops, the U.K. Department of Health said.

Not surprisingly, the tobacco industry is concerned about the prospect of a new restriction, one which cigarette makers argue wouldn't cut smoking rates. The industry has a broader complaint, too. London-based British American Tobacco says it is prepared to combat some forms of tobacco consumption, including underage smoking and illicit cigarettes. But it says the antismoking lobby is trying to freeze it out of the policy process, by limiting its access to government officials.

The U.K. and other governments should "consult properly with the well-run and responsible part of the tobacco industry," BAT Chief Executive Paul Adams said. BAT and other tobacco companies are particularly worried about a World Health Organization treaty that aims to exert more control over the industry.

In November, representatives from more than 150 countries met in Durban, South Africa, to discuss guidelines that would limit the ability of tobacco companies to lobby governments or promote their charity work. Countries also should ban the display of cigarettes with measures such as the U.K. proposal, attendees at the meeting decided.

The measures aren't mandatory for participants in the treaty, known as the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and includes the U.S., U.K. and 158 other countries. But they are designed to influence the global debate, says Deborah Arnott, ASH's director.

Experience suggests they will be persuasive. Last year, parties to the treaty agreed all workplaces should be smoke-free. By year's end, 29 countries had introduced laws banning or limiting smoking in workplaces, compared to 16 the year before, according to ASH.

Ed note: The detail of the measures to protect children by tackling smoking has not been made clear by the Queen's Speech today but ASH is optimistic that these will be included in the new health bill.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, 01 December 2008
Link: http://tiny.cc/xJY3G