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ASH News and Events Bulletin - 01-15 April 2010

HEADLINES

EVENTS

  • Altria Group CEO Earns $9 Million in 2009

    The CEO of the nation's largest tobacco company, Altria Group Inc., received compensation worth nearly $9 million for 2009, a 23 percent decrease as the company's cigarette sales fell, according to a regulatory filing Monday.

    Much of the decrease in pay for Michael Szymanczyk, who also is Altria's chairman, came from a nearly 37 percent decline in the value of restricted stock he received. Altria owns Philip Morris USA, which makes top seller Marlboro and other brands.

    The $4.2 million in stock that Szymanczyk, 61, received in 2009 was almost half his pay, compared with the $6.7 million in stock he got in 2008. At the time, that was more than half his total 2008 pay package of $11.6 million.

    Szymanczyk's 2009 base salary was $1.3 million, a 7 percent increase from the $1.2 million he got in 2008.

    Most of the remainder of Szymanczyk's compensation came from a $3 million performance-based bonus, 7 percent more than he received the previous year.

    He also received other compensation that the Richmond, Va., company valued at almost $500,000, roughly half the value of the perks he got the year before. Among his perks in 2009: $300,000 for personal use of the company's aircraft and more than $192,500 the company put into a defined-contribution retirement plan.

    The Associated Press formula is designed to isolate the value the company's board placed on the executive's total compensation package during the last fiscal year. It includes salary, bonus, performance-related bonuses, perks, above-market returns on deferred compensation and the estimated value of stock options and awards granted during the year.

    The calculations don't include changes in the present value of pension benefits, making the AP total different in most cases from the total reported by companies to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    Altria's full-year profit plunged 35 percent in 2009 to $3.21 billion, or $1.54 per share. But the comparison is complicated: The figure for 2008 included Philip Morris International Inc., which makes Altria's brands for sale overseas and was spun off in March 2008, while the 2009 figure included smokeless tobacco company UST LLC, which Altria bought in 2009.

    The company's full-year revenue rose 22 percent to $23.56 billion from $19.36 billion, including taxes Altria collects. Its cigarette volume fell 12.2 percent — more than the industry average of 8 percent, according to Altria's estimate.

    Source: ABC News - 12 April 2010
    Link: http://bit.ly/cJClWp

  • ASH calls for swift implementation of standard for fire safer cigarettes following move by Finland

    ASH congratulated the Finnish Government for being the first country in Europe to introduce fire safety standards in cigarettes and called on the European Commission to adopt a new standard for reduced fire risk cigarettes across the whole European Union by August 2010 in line with the timetable agreed in 2008. 

    The call is supported by the RIP Coalition, a coalition of over 60 national and local organisations, including the Fire Brigades Union, Help the Aged, the UK Public Health Association and ASH.

    Reduced Ignition Propensity (RIP), or fire safer, cigarettes are designed to self-extinguish when left unattended. RIP cigarettes are already compulsory in Canada, Australia and much of the United States. The European Union is currently developing a standard to be introduced across Europe, but Finland has decided not to wait and has introduced the new standard.

    On average two people a week in the UK die in a house fire caused by a cigarette. In 2007, the last year for which figures are available, 3,000 fires were caused by smoking materials in the home. A 2006 report [2] showed that if the RIP standard was in force in the UK, this could have:

    - reduced cigarette related fires by two thirds
    - reduced fatalities from 123 to 45 
    - reduced non fatal casualties from 1416 to 530

    Deborah Arnott, ASH Chief Executive said, "Finland has led the way in action to prevent the hundreds of unnecessary domestic fires every year that are caused by cigarettes. The delay in agreeing a European standard is totally unacceptable and is costing lives."

    Matt Wrack, General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union said, "Tobacco products are the major cause of domestic fires in the UK and of deaths by fire in the home. This is a tragedy that could be avoided if cigarettes were made safer. We urge the EU to adopt a fire-safer standard without further delay."

    Source: Medical News Today, 06 April 2010
    Link: http://bit.ly/aCFFX4

  • BAT to sell Lyfra

    British American Tobacco has agreed to sell its Belgian cigarette distribution business, Lyfra, to Landewyck Group, a privately held tobacco company based in Luxembourg.

    BAT declined to comment on the value of the deal, which is expected to be completed later this year. Lyfra had gross assets of €39m at December 31, 2009 and turnover of €696m in 2009.

    Industry analysts said that although the turnover figure is large, Lyfra is a low margin business and probably made around €14m in operating profit last year.

    In 2004, BAT sold a similar distribution business in Italy for 10 times earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation. Applying a similar multiple to Lyfra would give it a valuation of about €140m.

    A spokesperson for BAT said the sale of Lyfra, which it inherited from its merger with Rothmans in 2000, is part of the group’s strategy to dispose of non-core assets.

    BAT, the maker of Dunhill, Kent and Lucky Strike cigarettes, is the world’s second largest listed tobacco maker and reported £14.2bn in revenues last year.

    Landewyck is mainly known for its cigarette and fine cut tobacco products under the brands of Elyxir, Ducal, Austin and Maryland.

    Source: Financial Times - 07 April 2010
    Link: http://bit.ly/96X4DO

  • Changing men's health behaviour

    Abstract

    Men's apparent resistance to recommended health practices and their engagement with 'high-risk' behaviours has been associated with an increased risk of morbidity or mortality. Recent work has highlighted the need to think critically about the health-promoting behaviours that men appear reluctant to engage in, as well as examining those they embrace, and explore the gendered meanings that men attribute to their beliefs and behaviours. This article presents men's discussions of the 'practices of masculinity' and examines their relation to, and implications for, men's health-related behaviours as articulated in 15 focus group discussions (59 participants in total). The data capture both the experiences of men who felt pressured to engage in behaviours that may be harmful to their health in order to appear masculine and the accounts of those who regarded themselves as freer to embrace salutogenic health practices. Less is known about the circumstances that might encourage men to re-think their engagement in performances of masculinity that have potentially detrimental effects on their health. The data presented here suggest that ageing, illness, and fatherhood were some of the experiences that prompted men to re-evaluate their health practices.

    O'Brien R., 'The average Scottish man has a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, lying there with a portion of chips': prospects for change in Scottish men's constructions of masculinity and their health-related beliefs and behaviours, Critical Public Health,2009 Sep;19(3-4):363-381. Epub 2009 Oct 30.

    Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information - October 2009
    Link: http://bit.ly/aAy8LX

  • Effects of financial incentives for health promotion

    Abstract

    Background: A substantial fraction of UK general practitioners' salaries is now intended to reflect the quality of care provided. This performance-related pay system has probably improved aspects of primary health care but, using the observational data available, disentangling the impacts of different types of targets set within this unique payment system is challenging.

    Discussion: Financial incentives undoubtedly influence GPs' activities, however, those aimed at encouraging GPs' delivery of health promotion counselling may not always have the effects intended. There is strong, observational evidence that targets and incentives intended to increase smoking cessation counselling by GPs have merely increased their propensity to record this activity in patients' medical records. The limitations of using financial incentives to stimulate the delivery of counselling in primary care are discussed and a re-appraisal of their use within UK GPs' performance-related pay system is argued for.

    Summary: The utility of targets employed by the system for UK General Practitioners' performance related pay may be inappropriate for encouraging the delivery of health promotion counselling interventions. An evaluation of these targets is essential before they are further developed or added to.

    Coleman T., Do financial incentives for delivering health promotion counselling work? Analysis of smoking cessation activities stimulated by the quality and outcomes framework, BMC Public Health. 2010 Mar 26;10(1):167. [Epub ahead of print]

    Source: BMC - March 2010
    Link: http://bit.ly/djjHtk

  • Fatherly chats influence smoking, Cardiff study finds

    Boys and girls who discuss issues that are important to them with their fathers are less likely to smoke in their early years, a study has found.

    A big factor in stopping children trying cigarettes was how often their fathers talked with them about "things that mattered".

    The study by Dr James White, of Cardiff University, involved 3,500 youngsters between the ages of 11 and 15.

    He said fathers should be encouraged to talk to their children more often.

    Dr White, of the university's School of Medicine, will present his findings to the British Psychological Society's annual conference later.

    The three-year study used data from the British Youth Panel Survey.

    Youngsters were asked to rate how often they spoke to their fathers on issues that were important to them on a scale of from "hardly ever" to "most days".

    What was important to them depended on the child and could cover any subject.

    Only children who had never smoked at the time the study began took part.

    After three years, the responses of children who had remained non smokers were compared to those who said they had experimented with smoking at some point.

    Dr White said: "This study suggests that a greater awareness of parents' and especially fathers' potential impact upon their teenagers' choices about whether to smoke is needed.

    "Fathers should be encouraged and supported to improve the quality and frequency of communication with their children during adolescence.

    "The impact of teenager parenting is relatively un-researched and further research is very much needed."

    He said the study also looked at the influence of mothers and while they did not seem to be as influential in terms of smoking, Dr White said they were a positive influence in many other aspects of a child's wellbeing.

    As well as their smoking, the children were also asked about the frequency of parental communication, arguments with family members and the frequency of family meals.

    The study found the frequency of family arguments and family meals did not have a significant effect.

    Dr White said recognised risk factors for smoking, such as age, gender, household income, parental monitoring and parental smoking were all taken into account during analysis of the study's findings.

    Source: BBC News, 15 April 2010
    Link: http://bit.ly/bTHhb5

  • Imperial to introduce personalised furniture in duty-free

    The units are available as wallbays, gondolas and columns and will be showcased at next month's Singapore show

    Imperial Tobacco is to introduce a new range of Personalised Furniture (PF) for global travel-retail outlets at next month's Tax Free World Association Asia Pacific exhibition in Singapore. The range was rolled out in the new Aldeasa stores at Malaga International airport last month and will be launched at key airports in Middle East, Asia/Pacific and the Americas later this year.

    The PF is a direct result of consultation and demand from duty-free retailers and two programmes have been introduced for the Davidoff and Gauloises brands. A range of Portfolio Brand Furniture has also been created for the company's remaining brands.

    As part of the concept, each brand can be given its own personal look by changing brand colour lighting and lightbox communication. The colour of the main unit can also be customised to match the operator's shop colours if required, while panels enable additional communication messages to be included such as allowances for specific countries or information on special promotions. The units can also be personalised to target individual nationalities—Germans for West/Gauloises; British for Lambert & Butler, Richmond Superkings, Regal and Golden Virginia; French for Gauloises and Spanish for Fortuna. Executions are available for wallbays, gondolas, columns/pillars enabling units to be installed regardless of shop size and configuration.

    The company will also showcase at the exhibition its new Davidoff packs, which are framed by a brush steel band and based on a minimalise [sic] and made from selected materials.

    Follow the link below for a picture of the displays.

    Source: DFNI Online - 12 April 2010
    Link: http://bit.ly/azXBVZ

  • King’s Fund praises work on smoking and cancer but says NHS is still

    The NHS is not yet world class and needs to change rapidly to meet its future challenges, says a new report by the healthcare think tank the King’s Fund. 

    The review of the NHS in England since 1997 describes the rise in health inequalities between different groups in society as the "most significant failure" in health care.

    It warns that the health service is unprepared for the future and now faces "the worst of times," with a £21bn (24bn; $32bn) gap in funding by 2014 as it struggles with tighter budgets and ever increasing demand, including meeting the needs of an ageing population.

    But it also highlights the achievements made since 1997, including reductions in waiting lists and in numbers of deaths from cancer and of strokes and heart attacks. It also praises the smoking ban and a fall in the number of people smoking.

    Chris Ham, the King’s Fund’s chief executive, warned in a press release accompanying the report that doing more of the same in the NHS was not an option.

    He said, "The next government faces a huge challenge in nursing the NHS to full health at a time when funding will grow very slowly, if at all . . . The NHS will have to do things differently by embracing innovation and becoming much more efficient in how it uses the £100bn it spends each year.

    "The NHS must now transform itself from a service that not only diagnoses and treats sickness but also predicts and prevents it. If the same energy and innovation that went into reducing waiting times and hospital infections could be put into prevention and chronic care, the NHS could become truly world class. This will not be easy, and it is vital that politicians engage in an honest dialogue with the public about the changes needed."

    The report is particularly critical of the government’s attempts to stop the rise in alcohol consumption, saying that no sign has been shown that its aims have been achieved. The number of admissions to hospital related to alcohol consumption rose by 69% from 2002-3 to 2007-8, to reach 863 000.

    Moreover, on obesity the report says "there is no sign of the tide turning." In 2007, 24% of men and women were classed as obese, but experts predict that by 2020 the figure will rise to 41% of men in 2020 and 36% of women.

    And despite good intentions to reduce health inequalities, "in sharp contrast to the previous administration" progress in this area has been "elusive."

    The review identifies three key challenges now facing the NHS. The financial challenge must be the NHS’s top priority in the short term, with a "relentless drive" to improve productivity. The public health challenge means that the NHS must reverse rises in levels of obesity and alcohol related illness and replicate the progress it made in reducing smoking. Lastly, the NHS faces a demographic challenge of an ageing population, and it still has a long way to go to transform the delivery of care to support rising numbers of people with chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and dementia.

    A High Performing NHS? A Review of Progress 1997-2010 is at www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications

    Source: BMJ - 13 April 2010
    Link: http://bit.ly/b3M7z4

  • Legislative smoking bans for reducing secondhand smoke exposure, smoking prevalence and tobacco consumption

    Abstract

    Background
    Smoking bans have been implemented in a variety of settings, as well as being part of policy in many jurisdictions to protect the public and employees from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke (SHS). They also offer the potential to influence social norms and smoking behaviour of those populations they affect.

    Objectives
    To assess the extent to which legislation-based smoking bans or restrictions reduce exposure to SHS, help people who smoke to reduce tobacco consumption or lower smoking prevalence and affect the health of those in areas which have a ban or restriction in place.

    Search strategy
    We searched the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group Specialised Register, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Conference Paper Index, and reference lists and bibliographies of included studies. We also checked websites of various organisations. Date of most recent search; July 1st 2009.

    Selection criteria
    We considered studies that reported legislative smoking bans and restrictions affecting populations. The minimum standard was having a ban explicitly in the study and a minimum of six months follow-up for measures of smoking behaviour. We included randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies (i.e. non-randomized controlled studies), controlled before and after studies, interrupted-time series as defined by the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care Group, and uncontrolled pre- and post-ban data.

    Data collection and analysis
    Characteristics and content of the interventions, participants, outcomes and methods of the included studies were extracted by one author and checked by a second. Because of heterogeneity in the design and content of the studies, we did not attempt a meta-analysis. We evaluated the studies using qualitative narrative synthesis.

    Main results
    There were 50 studies included in this review. Thirty-one studies reported exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) with 19 studies measuring it using biomarkers. There was consistent evidence that smoking bans reduced exposure to SHS in workplaces, restaurants, pubs and in public places. There was a greater reduction in exposure to SHS in hospitality workers compared to the general population. We failed to detect any difference in self-reported exposure to SHS in cars. There was no change in either the prevalence or duration of reported exposure to SHS in the home as a result of implementing legislative bans. Twenty-three studies reported measures of active smoking, often as a co-variable rather than an end-point in itself, with no consistent evidence of a reduction in smoking prevalence attributable to the ban. Total tobacco consumption was reduced in studies where prevalence declined. Twenty-five studies reported health indicators as an outcome. Self-reported respiratory and sensory symptoms were measured in 12 studies, with lung function measured in five of them. There was consistent evidence of a reduction in hospital admissions for cardiac events as well as an improvement in some health indicators after the ban.

    Authors' conclusions
    Introduction of a legislative smoking ban does lead to a reduction in exposure to passive smoking. Hospitality workers experienced a greater reduction in exposure to SHS after implementing the ban compared to the general population. There is limited evidence about the impact on active smoking but the trend is downwards. There is some evidence of an improvement in health outcomes. The strongest evidence is the reduction seen in admissions for acute coronary syndrome. There is an increase in support for and compliance with smoking bans after the legislation.

    Callinan, J., Legislative smoking bans for reducing secondhand smoke exposure, smoking prevalence and tobacco consumption, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2010, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD005992. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD005992.pub2.

    Source: The Cochrane Library - April 2010
    Link: http://bit.ly/9e8qpn

  • No butts about it: Reynolds planning for less smoky future

    During board meetings, Reynolds American Chief Executive Susan Ivey likes to suck on dissolvable smokeless-tobacco strips to get her nicotine fix.

    She's hoping to tempt millions of smokers to follow her lead.

    Confronted with the inexorable decline of cigarette sales, Reynolds is transforming itself into a company that also offers an array of smokeless alternatives — including strips, lozenges and snuff.

    To help pay for that, Ivey has cut Reynolds' stable of cigarette products by nearly 600 items, or 70 percent, including “soft-pack” varieties of Kool, Winston and Doral. She outsourced payroll-processing and information technology and cut factory and white-collar jobs. Reynolds now employs about 6,400 people, 32 percent fewer than in 2004.

    Reynolds' push into smokeless products comes amid an intensifying debate among public-health professionals about how oral forms of tobacco should be regulated. Some tobacco-control advocates, including the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, have criticized Reynolds' dissolvable products as nicotine candies designed to appeal to children.

    Now the Food and Drug Administration, which last year was given sweeping authority to regulate the tobacco industry, is weighing in. It recently asked Reynolds to provide its research into how the dissolvable products are used and perceived by people 25 and younger.

    Ivey, 51, who got her start in the business at Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. in Louisville, views the new lineup as a way to prepare Reynolds for a world that is likely to include fewer smokers.

    “I believe these products can drive our sustainability into the future,” she says. “Having a forward vision is important.”

    She's banking on support from scientists and public-health professionals who argue that lives could potentially be saved by encouraging smokers to switch to smokeless tobacco.

    “It's a disservice to public health if we keep products off the shelf that are (safer) than cigarettes,” says Scott Ballin, a longtime tobacco-control advocate. “To me, if we can come up with a better mousetrap, we should be considering those options.”

    For a smokeless nicotine buzz, Reynolds offers Camel Snus, pouches of spit-free oral tobacco popularized in Sweden. The company is test-marketing Camel Orbs — tiny oval-shaped lozenges. Ivey's own preference is for Camel Strips, thin tobacco wafers that melt on the tongue after three minutes.

    Reynolds also recently acquired Swedish company Niconovum for $43 million — the first move by a big tobacco concern to market smoking-cessation aids — and is strongly considering seeking FDA approval to sell its products in the U.S. And the 135-year-old company plans to keep selling its Camel, Pall Mall and other cigarette brands.

    Ivey notes that Reynolds started as a maker of chewing tobacco — not cigarettes. “Who knows what the future holds?”

    Source: Courier Journal - 3 April 2010
    Link: http://bit.ly/aRTtbv

  • Public support in England for a total ban on the sale of tobacco products

    Abstract
    Background This study aimed to determine the level of support for a sales ban on tobacco in England to provide a benchmark against which any changes over time can be assessed. 

    Methods 8735 people from England who participated in one of five monthly cross-sectional household surveys in 2008 were asked to indicate whether they would support the statement that ‘the government should work towards banning the sale of tobacco completely within the next 10 years’. In addition, sociodemographic and smoking characteristics were assessed.

    Results A substantial proportion of the total sample (44.5%; 95% CI 43.5% to 45.6%) would support a move towards a complete ban. While never smokers (OR 2.02; 95% CI 1.82 to 2.25) and ex-smokers (OR 1.41; 95% CI 1.21 to 1.65) were more likely to support this idea, even among current smokers, a third would favour moving towards a sales ban of tobacco products. Adjusting for other background characteristics, younger, female participants, those living in London and those from lower socioeconomic groups were most likely to support a ban. Among smokers, a higher cigarette consumption, smoking enjoyment and contentment with being a smoker were associated with opposition to a ban, while feeling uncomfortable being a smoker, wanting to be a non-smoker and being worried about future health consequences of smoking were associated with support for a ban.

    Conclusion Support for movement towards a ban on the sale of tobacco is higher than might be imagined. It is conceivable that as smoking prevalence falls further and smoking becomes more socially unacceptable, support might grow to a point where such a policy could become feasible.

    Shahab, L. and West, R., Public support in England for a total ban on the sale of tobacco products, Tobacco Control,2010;19:143-147

    Source: BMJ - December 2009
    Link: http://bit.ly/9bsXgC

  • Quit attempts in response to smoke-free legislation in England

    Abstract

    Objectives To determine whether England's smoke-free legislation, introduced on 1 July 2007, influenced intentions and attempts to stop smoking. 

    Design and setting National household surveys conducted in England between January 2007 and December 2008. The sample was weighted to match census data on demographics and included 10 560 adults aged 16 or over who reported having smoked within the past year.

    Results A greater percentage of smokers reported making a quit attempt in July and August 2007 (8.6%, n=82) compared with July and August 2008 (5.7%, n=48) (Fisher's exact=0.022); there was no significant difference in the number of quit attempts made at other times in 2007 compared with 2008. In the 5 months following the introduction of the legislation 19% (n=75) of smokers making a quit attempt reported that they had done so in response to the legislation. There were no significant differences in these quit attempts with regard to gender, social grade or cigarette consumption; there was however a significant linear trend with increasing age (χ2=7.755, df=1, p<0.005). The prevalence of respondents planning to quit before the ban came into force decreased over time, while those who planned to quit when the ban came into force increased as the ban drew closer.

    Conclusion England's smoke-free legislation was associated with a significant temporary increase in the percentage of smokers attempting to stop, equivalent to over 300 000 additional smokers trying to quit. As a prompt to quitting the ban appears to have been equally effective across all social grades.

    Hackshaw, L., et al., Quit attempts in response to smoke-free legislation in England, Tobacco Control 2010;19:160-164

    Source: BMJ - December 2009
    Link: http://bit.ly/ay3YlE

  • Relationships between hand-rolled cigarettes and lung cancer

    Abstract

    Introduction: Detailed smoking history of patients developing lung cancer is rarely known, especially not for users of hand-rolled cigarettes. In Norway, smoking hand-rolled tobacco is still popular, accounting for one-third of the total tobacco consume.

    Methods: A questionnaire-based study revealing detailed information about tobacco consume with consecutive inclusion of all persons developing lung cancer in Southern Norway 2002-2005.

    Results: In this unselected population with 479 patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer, 95% had a smoking history and 88% of ever-smokers had smoked primarily hand-rolled cigarettes. The hand-rolled cigarette smokers had smoked fewer cigarettes daily (15) and less pack-years of tobacco (34) than fabricated cigarette smokers (20, P < 0.0001 and 42, P = 0.021, respectively). Smoking hand-rolled cigarettes was considerably more frequent than expected from official sales statistics. Hand-rolled cigarette smoking revealed an odds ratio of 13 for developing lung cancer compared with smoking fabricated cigarettes.

    Conclusion: In this unselected population with newly diagnosed lung cancer, nine out of 10 ever-smokers had smoked primarily hand-rolled cigarettes. Patients smoking hand-rolled cigarettes had a smoking history of fewer daily cigarettes and less pack-years tobacco consumed than fabricated cigarette smokers. In this study, hand-rolled cigarettes are more frequently used than shown in national statistics. Smokers of hand-rolled cigarettes may have a greatly increased risk for lung cancer compared with smokers of fabricated cigarettes.

    Rolke HB, Bakke PS and Gallefoss F. Relationships between hand-rolled cigarettes and primary lung cancer: A norwegian experience. The Clinical Respiratory Journal 2009; 3: 152–160.

    Source: Clinical Respiratory Journal - January 2009
    Link: http://bit.ly/9DMWOb

  • Smoking intensity before and after introduction of the public place smoking ban in Scotland

    Abstract

    A study was performed to determine whether cigarettes were smoked more intensely outside of public venues in Scotland, compared to indoors, after introduction of the public place smoking (PPS) ban. It was conducted in 3 waves: before the ban, immediately after and 6 months after introduction. The study included 322 regular smokers of 4 cigarette brand variants. Filter analysis measurements were used to estimate the human-smoked yields of tar and nicotine from cigarettes smoked predominantly inside (before the ban) or outside (after the ban) public venues. Self-reported cigarette consumption data were also collected. Numbers of cigarettes smoked indoors in public places fell dramatically after the ban. There was a corresponding rise in smoking incidence in outdoor public locations. The ban did not significantly affect the total number of cigarettes smoked by the subjects over the weekends investigated. Human-smoked yields of tar and nicotine decreased slightly after the introduction of the ban and some reductions were significant. Therefore, smoking outdoors at public venues, following the PPS ban, did not increase smoking intensity. Any changes in smoking behaviour that may have occurred had little effect on mainstream smoke exposure or cigarette consumption for those that continued to smoke.

    Ashley M., Smoking intensity before and after introduction of the public place smoking ban in Scotland, Regul Toxicol Pharmacol.2010 Mar 25. [Epub ahead of print]

    Source: Science Direct - March 2010
    Link: http://bit.ly/afhsS3

  • Tax Free World Association responds to tobacco allegations

    The duty-free association has issued a letter to address allegations that it intends to undermine the Illicit Trade Protocol

    The Tax Free World Association (TFWA) has issued a formal response to recent allegations by Corporate Accountability International (CAI) and the Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT) regarding the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Framework convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The two groups have stated that the TFWA intends to undermine the effectiveness of the Illicit Trade Protocol, which is part of the FCTC, following the fourth International Negotiating Body Meeting (INB4) in Geneva, where a possible ban on duty-free tobacco sales was not discussed and a decision on the draft protocol was deferred until November.

    TFWA wrote to CAI and NATT explaining that it took issue with claims published in their document Smokescreen for Smuggling—Tobacco Industry Attempts to Derail Illicit Trade Protocol, which attempts to summarise the role of tobacco companies and trade associations in the negotiations, and declared that the TFWA has not “at any stage lobbied against the FCTC Illicit Trade Protocol as claimed, just as it has no wish to undermine the effectiveness of the FCTC and the Illicit Trade Protocol”.

    The duty-free association added that it is opposed to any form of illicit trading and would welcome any initiative to protect legal trading, but that it does not see “any reasonable justification” for the inclusion of a total ban on global duty-free tobacco sales in the protocol.

    TFWA said: “The claim that duty-free retail sales of tobacco lead to increased smuggling is without foundation, and certainly without foundation to consider a global ban of all duty-free sales of tobacco. Duty-free is one of the most tightly-controlled channels in the world, with stringent regulations covering manufacture, packaging and tight controls on storage and transportation as well as strict limits on quantities sold to each consumer.”

    The association concluded by hoping that in the future its position will be respected and “that communication will reflect accurately the position of TFWA and the duty-free and travel-retail industry on this matter”. The letter was also sent to several WHO officials and the secretariat of anti-tobacco lobby group Framework Convention Alliance for information.

    Source: DFNI Online - 12 April 2010
    Link: http://bit.ly/dhsogK

  • USA: Smoking ban didn't hurt most Ohio restaurants, bars

    Cities and states that have banned smoking didn't suffer a dramatic or permanent falloff in business at bars and restaurants, as owners had feared.

    When Ohio adopted its ban in 2006, "there was a lot of concern that (bar and restaurant owners) would lose business, but none of our members have said that the ban has impacted them negatively," said Jarrod Claybaugh of the Ohio Restaurant Association.

    Instead, the smoking cessation has encouraged nonsmokers to enjoy nightlife and visit bars and restaurants more often, he said.

    Businesses around the country -- Michigan's will become the 38th state ban -- have noticed a similar effect.

    In Chicago, which banned smoking in 2005, the restaurant business is strong, said Fabian Martinez, a manager at Giordano's pizzeria.

    In Nebraska, which adopted its ban last summer, restaurants and bars with outdoor patios, where smoking is allowed, have fared well, said Molly Goodman, the manager of Sullivan's Steakhouse in Omaha.

    Montana banned smoking in restaurants and workplaces in 2005 and in bars last year.

    While bowling alleys and casino bars suffered, the ban didn't have the harsh repercussions business owners had feared, said Lynn Fiegel, manager of the Windbag Saloon and Grill in Helena.

    New York City, among the first municipalities to prohibit smoking in 2003, is thriving as a bona fide smoke-free zone.

    "People have become accustomed and expect to not experience secondhand smoke," said Beth Kilgore, spokeswoman for the city's Bureau of Tobacco Control, a division of the city Health Department.

    Source: Winston-Salem Journal - 05 April 2010
    Link: http://bit.ly/c6akbk

  • Wales: Health risk down due to smoking ban – health chief

    Welsh people are less exposed to second-hand smoke than they were before the smoking ban, the Assembly said on its third anniversary yesterday.

    Chief medical officer Dr Tony Jewell said thanks to the ban we are at a reduced risk of heart attacks than before.

    It came as councils revealed figures on the number of people reprimanded officially for breaking the law.

    Dr Jewell said Assembly research showed levels of exposure to second-hand smoke fell significantly since the ban was introduced in 2007.

    He said more than 99 per cent of premises inspected during January 2010 complied with the legislation.

    In Newport, the council said two businesses were prosecuted for breaking the ban during the three years of operation, while 15 people attended court after failing to pay fixed-penalty notices.

    It handed out 67 notices, with £3,100 paid in penalties and fines.

    Caerphilly council gave 12 written warnings and 13 fixed penalties over the period but did not prosecute any businesses or individuals.

    Blaenau Gwent and Monmouthshire said they have not prosecuted anyone, although the latter council issued nine written warnings.

    Torfaen Council could not provide the latest figures, but last September we reported it issued 100 written warnings, ten fines and two successful prosecutions up till that time.

    The British Beer and Pub Association said although pubs, under pressure from the recession, have been hit by the ban, it added: "The vast majority of people believe pubs are more pleasant places without smoking and what's good for our customers, has to be good for pubs."

    Source: South Wales Argus - 03 April 2010
    Link: http://bit.ly/bWJNaK

Events

  • World No Tobacco Day

    The theme for this year's World Health Organization's World No Tobacco Day is "Gender and tobacco with an emphasis on marketing to women".

    Find out more on the WHO website: www.who.int/tobacco/wntd/2010/announcement/en/

    Date: 31 May 2010
    Venue: everywhere

  • 3-day course on running a specialist smoking cessation service

    'Maudsley Training' course which focuses on practical skills for clinicians, with essential information for clinicians, researchers, service co-ordinators and policy-makers seeking an up-to-date grasp of the field.

    Tutors: P Hajek, R West, H McRobbie, and members of their teams.

    Cost: 500 + VAT early registration

    Availability: 50+

    Date: 02 June 2010
    Venue: Park Crescent Conference Centre, 229 Great Portland Street, London W1
    Contact: Janice Rossabi on +44 0208 347 0556 or sctrp@yahoo.co.uk

  • UK National Smoking Cessation Conference

    This year, the UKNSCC will reflect the latest developments in good practice for smoking cessation in special populations, new indications for NRT, medication compliance, marketing and supporting tobacco control activity, and the impact of illicit tobacco.

    For more information, please visit: uknscc.org

    Date: 14 June 2010
    Venue: Radisson SAS Hotel, Glasgow
    Contact: info@exchangesupplies.org

  • No smoke without fire: Practical approaches to smoking cessation in acute and community settings

    The conference will explore the human rights issues surrounding the ban on smoking in psychiatric hospitals in England; find out up to the minute results from the latest Department of Health survey of how the ban is working; hear staff and patients’ views on what it has meant for them; and pick up tips and advice about strategies for putting this difficult piece of policy into place. Delegates can also learn about the impact of a similar initiative in Australia and what else can be done here, outside a hospital setting, to address the high levels of smoking among people diagnosed with a mental health condition.

    Date: 17 June 2010
    Venue: The Resource Centre, London, N7
    Contact: http://www.pavpub.com/pavpub/conferences/showfull.asp?Conference=104

  • 4th Latin American Conference on Lung Cancer (LALCA 2010)

    The event will be a time for lung cancer professional from Latin America and around the world to share the most up-to-date information regarding the science and advances in the treatment of lung cancer. International and national speakers will participate in the Scientific Program and their presentations will provide a platform to discuss the latest developments in basic science and clinical treatment.
     

    Date: 28 July 2010
    Contact: www.lalca2010.org

  • Health in Europe - Ready for the Future?

    Leading experts from business and industry, science and academia, patient organisations/NGOs as well as numerous prominent decision makers in health policy present new ideas and use the EHFG as a platform for the exchange of experiences and opinions at the international level.

    Date: 06 October 2010
    Venue: Gastein, Austria
    Contact: www.ehfg.org

  • Smoke Free Futures: Tobacco Control Conference 2010

    Smoke Free Futures is a two day tobacco control conference that asks what are the next steps we need to be taking to secure tobacco free futures for our children and how do we help the 70% of smokers who say they wish to quit more effectively in the here and now.

    Confirmed workshops and presentations at the Conference include:

    • No Smoking Day – Be the first to find out about NSD 2011
    • Young Tobacco Control Campaigners Tell their Stories
    • Understanding the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and the Framework Convention Alliance
    • Evaluation of the Ireland Point of Sale Legislation
    • Development of a Tobacco Control Strategy for Wales

    Conference participants will have the opportunity to learn from the successes and challenges faced by successful tobacco control practitioners at this highly interactive conference.

    Date: 11 October 2010
    Venue: Mercure Holland House Hotel Cardiff, Wales
    Contact: www.smoking-conference-wales.org.uk

  • SCTRP Annual Update and Supervision Day

    The annual opportunity for SCTRP graduates to troubleshoot existing practice, update on research, and interact with over 100 practitioners.

    Tutors: P Hajek, R West, G Sutherland, H McRobbie and members of their teams.

    Cost: £235 (£200 plus VAT) Early Bird rate prior to course

    Availability: 100+

    Date: 03 December 2010
    Venue: Park Crescent Conference Centre, 229 Great Portland Street, London W1
    Contact: Janice Rossabi on +44 0208 347 0556 or sctrp@yahoo.co.uk