Debenhams names ex-Gallaher boss as chair

Debenhams, the department store chain, announced today that Nigel Northridge, the former chief executive of Gallaher, the maker of Benson & Hedges cigarettes, will become its new chairman to replace John Lovering.
The company said Mr Northridge will step up to the role on April 1 following the retirement of Mr Lovering who has chaired the retailer since 2003 and led its flotation on the London Stock Exchange in 2006.
Yesterday, Mr Lovering became chairman of Mitchells & Butlers, replacing Simon Laffin after Joe Lewis, the Bahamas-based billionaire, orchestrated a coup that saw three members ousted from the board.
Mr Northridge is currently chairman of Paddy Power, the betting group, the senior independent director of Aggreko, the emergency power supply business and is a non-executive with Thomas Cook, the travel company and Inchcape, the car dealer.Mr Northridge, who was with Gallaher for 32 years, which was sold for £9.4 billion in 2007, is joining Debenhams at a challenging time for retailers. Earlier this month, Debenhams reported that it had increased sales over the Christmas period but warned of an uncertain year in the face of the return to the 17.5 per cent VAT rate and the impending general election.

Living Room

Rachel Sherman's Living Room attempts to diagram the collapse of a Long Island family through the lives of three generations of women, but falls short of the subtlety and also, paradoxically, the devastating drama required of the genre. The mother, Livia, plays the feminist academic, refusing the role of homemaker under the guise of finishing a master's, on which she never works, preferring to spend the better part of her time lying in bed eating (she has enough money for an au pair). Livia's chronic denial of responsibility is a symptom that is cured only after Headie, the grandmother, dies. In an infuriatingly cliched and obvious parental revelation, Livia realizes "That it is not about her."
The stories of Headie and Livia's teen daughter, Abby, exhibit similar yet slightly less overwrought banality, and though ancillary to the story of Livia's overdue maturation, in comparison make for a more believable and interesting read. Abby's problems are typical of high school: boys, cigarettes and first attempts at getting drunk. To Abby, being drunk is "like being dead, like being a puppet or a doll," an innocent, yet visually complicated sentiment that speaks to a greater maturity. "Anything could have happened," she thinks after blacking out from alcohol. One feels for Abby, who seems to understand the consequences of her actions on a deeper level than her mother, who only thinks of herself and the trauma of seeing her daughter in the hospital. When they get home, it's Abby who comforts an hysterical Livia: "Mom, it's OK."
Thankfully, even more so than Abby's tale, it is Headie's sometimes dementia-infused memories of the 50s, and her roles of wife, lover and mother, that save the book. The juxtaposition between the time periods in which Headie and Livia became mothers is refreshing; in a reversal of stereotypes, Headie wonders if Livia isn't a "prude" underneath her liberal exterior. There is a well-crafted argument between their two generations, highlighting drastic and important changes in the American way of life, but Sherman falls short of positing a theory as to what it means for Abby. Although Living Room feels at times like it wants to delve into the unseen corners of suburbia, and the pressure exerted on women therein (al la Munro or Yates), Sherman seems content to record only the exaggerated reflections at the surface, and we are left with characters that are merely privileged and annoying, rather than troubled and worth remembering.

Record numbers of region's smokers quit

SMOKERS in North Lincolnshire at the fastest rate since records began.
Latest figures from the Department of Health show 378 people in the region successfully gave up smoking between April and September 2009, up 23 per cent on the previous year, and the highest since records began in 2001.
Twice as many pregnant women are also kicking the habit, with 12 having successfully completed the NHS Stop Smoking programme, compared to just six over the same period last year.
Tony Scrase-Walters, 67, recently quit his 50-year addiction, which saw him smoke up to 80 cigarettes a day.
He said: "It's the toughest thing I've ever had to do.
"I haven't smoked since November but until I've done a year smoke-free I'd say I'm still in danger of slipping back to square one, all it takes is one cigarette and all the hard work goes out of the window.
"I'll get really strong cravings around four or five times a day, the worst ones are on a morning, I've been having a fag and a cup of coffee for breakfast for 50 years, it's a hard habit to break."
The NHS Stop Smoking service sets a quit date with patients and GPs, before a check-up after 31 days to determine whether the patient has successfully quit smoking.

Smoking: Help is at hand

NEW figures show that just one-third of all smokers who aimed to give up smoking in 2009 were successful in kicking the habit, a statistic that clearly indicates the desire to quit but possibly the absence of the correct support for them to effectively do so.
As many people endeavour to stick to resolutions made in January to stop, this statistic demonstrates the challenge that they will face during 2010 to remain smoke-free.
Motivation to stop differs from person to person and often incorporates more than one factor. Reasons can include the related costs, health issues, legislation, social aspects, home life or work.
The key factor for many people seems to be committing to stopping too hastily or without the relevant consideration and dedication – in fact, 78% of people who make New Year resolutions fail in their attempts, becoming dispirited and despondent.
Those attempting to banish cigarettes from their lives must be committed and should aim to seek help from sources relevant to their own needs and past experiences.
A new smoking-cessation service in Aberdeen looks to motivate and inspire individuals to stop smoking, equipping them with the skills and self-inspiration to extinguish those cigarettes forever and achieve their goal.
Set Free from Smoking encourages participants to name a date for stopping and, most importantly, empowers them with the drive and determination to stick to it and stop permanently.
Kenny Keir, an IT co-ordinator with a major oil company in Aberdeen, was a recent workshop participant.
He said: “Previous attempts to stop using only willpower were unsuccessful and I knew I needed additional, more structured support to quit. The Set Free from Smoking approach offered me this and I have now been free from cigarettes for three months. In this short time, I already notice an improved fitness level and no longer need to incorporate visits to the smoking shelter into my day at work or stand out in the cold with the other smokers.”
Like Kenny, many people see smoking cessation as a personal battle. Of course, for the most part, this is true, but within the workplace, many employers now recognise their responsibility for the health and wellbeing of their employees and look to support them in any quest they may have to improve personal wellbeing.
As well as the health effects on their workforce, employers are also very aware of the potential economic and business benefits of encouraging a smoke-free workforce, and many choose to develop smoking policies in line with their corporate-social-responsibility strategy.
HR professionals are increasingly aware of the detrimental effects that smoking can have on the workplace.
John Booth, director of HR and training at VSA in Aberdeen, said: “VSA employs over 600 people in the city and surrounding areas, predominantly within our care homes. Every company has to deal with the issue of staff going for unofficial smoke breaks and the resentment this creates from non-smoking staff.
“The importance of managing scheduled smoking breaks within the care sector is vital as adequate cover must be available at all times and animosity between staff avoided.
“Any encouragement and focus that staff who are keen to stop smoking can be given is positive as the health and wellbeing of VSA’s staff is critical to the care that we provide to thousands of local people.”
As well as time, productivity and staff morale issues, other concerns within the workplace include absenteeism and safety.
Surprisingly, 20% of workplace fires are caused by discarded cigarettes or matches. Not only is there the very obvious safety impact, but it can also mean that a company’s insurance premiums rise, therefore affecting its bottom line.
Astonishingly, it is estimated that the resource cost in terms of losses from smoking-related fires is estimated at about £4million per annum in Scotland alone.
Absenteeism can also affect a company’s profits, as well as impacting on the overall business process if no adequate cover is available.
Research shows that the estimated cost of smoking-related absence in Scotland is £40million per year, while total productivity losses are estimated at about £450million per year.
It is clear that smoking within a company can throw up many issues and factors to take into consideration. However, employers must work with staff to improve their individual workplace situation, ensuring that they do not isolate or cause contention between themselves and their smoking employees.
The inspiration for Set Free from Smoking comes from Margaret Brown, herself a heavy ex-smoker, who delivers the workshop using an inspiring and powerful mix of techniques that allows participants to take control and overcome their addiction.
With a background in corporate leadership development and employee motivation, Margaret transfers these skills and methods into her workshops, tailored to both individual and corporate participants.
For corporate clients, Margaret will ensure that the workshop supports the company’s vision and objectives, incorporating relevant corporate language.
Her successful track record in leadership, motivation and behavioural change has seen her work on major leadership projects with various corporations, including Shell, Schlumberger, Subsea 7 and latterly Marathon Oil, which has achieved recognition within the prestigious Top 100 Best Companies to work for in the UK for the past three consecutive years.

Judge Orders F.D.A. to Stop Blocking Imports of E-Cigarettes From China

A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Food and Drug Administration to stop blocking the importation of electronic cigarettes from China and indicated that the devices should be regulated as tobacco products rather than drug or medical devices.
Judge Richard J. Leon of Federal District Court in Washington issued a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit brought by two distributors of the so-called e-cigarettes, which are battery-powered tubes that heat liquid nicotine into an inhalable vapor and are meant to simulate the taste of tobacco.
The distributors say the vapor contains virtually none of the cancer-causing chemicals of traditional cigarettes, but the F.D.A. says it has not been proved safe.
“This case appears to be yet another example of F.D.A.’s aggressive efforts to regulate recreational tobacco products as drugs or devices,” Judge Leon wrote.
With the passage of landmark tobacco legislation last year, he added, the Food and Drug Administration’s new tobacco division will be able to regulate the contents and marketing claims of e-cigarettes in the same way it is about to begin regulating traditional tobacco products. But the agency’s drug division cannot ban the devices, the judge ruled.
The Food and Drug Administration issued a brief statement: “The public health issues surrounding electronic cigarettes are of serious concern to the F.D.A. The agency is reviewing Judge Leon’s opinion and will decide the appropriate action to take.”
Ray Story, vice president of Smoking Everywhere, a Florida company that filed the suit, said the ruling was a victory for smokers who want a safer cigarette.
“The public will have a much less harmful alternative to tobacco products,” Mr. Story said. “Wherever they’re sold, we are going to be sold.”
Jack Leadbeater, chief executive of Sottera, an Arizona company that joined the suit, said border authorities would have to stop blocking and seizing imports and would have to release thousands of impounded e-cigarettes and millions of nicotine cartridges.
Mr. Leadbeater, chairman of the Electronic Cigarette Association, estimated that the products were a $100 million business nationwide.
Matthew L. Myers, president of the antismoking advocacy group Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said the ruling opened “a gaping loophole” in the F.D.A.’s ability to regulate non-tobacco products containing nicotine.
He said the judge’s decision “ignores the common sense distinction” the F.D.A. has long drawn between traditional tobacco products like cigarettes and cigars and “a host of non-tobacco products, ranging from toothpaste to lollipops to water, in which manufacturers have added nicotine, a highly addictive substance.”
Mr. Myers’ organization and other health groups had promoted legislation to give the Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate tobacco products. But he said the law, signed by President Obama last June, was intended for traditional tobacco products, not electronic ones where nicotine levels and flavors could be easily adjusted.
Mr. Myers said e-cigarettes posed several potential serious risks to public health, including lack of controls on potency, a means to discourage current smokers from quitting by providing an alternative in smoke-free spaces and the possibility “these products could serve as a pathway to nicotine addiction for children.”
Judge Leon argued that the devices should be regulated in the same way as cigarettes. The judge also agreed with the distributors that e-cigarettes were not marketed as medical devices to help smokers quit, as the Food and Drug Administration had argued, but rather as safer substitutes to give users “the nicotine hit that smokers crave.”
The plastic tubes, shaped like cigarettes, have a heating element to vaporize a refillable liquid nicotine mixture. They have electronics to monitor air flow so that when a user inhales, the device delivers a vapor with a taste and feel that the distributors say simulates cigarette smoke.
Traditional cigarette makers have not been involved in the fledgling industry.

A ban with health benefits

Congress may soon do for New York what the state’s own Legislature has been unwilling to accomplish: putting an effective end to the problem—some say the advantage—of tax-free cigarette sales by the Seneca Nation of Indians. It could lead to regrettable job losses among Western New York’s Native Americans, but it’s the right move for reasons that go beyond state revenue losses.
A bill pending in the U. S. Senate—and already approved by the House—would ban the U. S. Postal Service from delivering mail-order cigarettes, which accounts for about 70 percent of the Senecas’ tobacco sales. Albany would find that pleasing, since more customers would have to buy from stores, thus increasing state tax revenues. Non-Seneca merchants would be pleased to be freed from what they see— and what, in fact, is—an unfair advantage given their competitors.
Both those factors are adequate reasons to pursue this change, but it’s not the primary one. The crucial factor is the government’s interest—meaning Americans’ interest—in controlling the distribution of a poisonous and fiercely addictive substance. Tobacco is legal, but it’s not for kids, some of whom have credit cards.
The Senecas say, and not without cause, that the bill could harm employment in Western New York, where the Native American cigarette business employs around 1,000 people. And that is despite the decline in activity that occurred when shippers such as UPS and FedEx, under pressure from the state, stopped servicing Seneca cigarette businesses. Business would remain undisturbed at cigarette shops on Seneca land.
Senecas and some elected officials—including Rep. Eric Massa, D-Corning, who previously supported thebill— fear that it could violate treaty language that grants significant autonomy to the Senecas. We’re doubtful of that, but such disputes are the reason we have courts of law. The Senecas are entitled to challenge such a law in federal court and, if they win, that’s the end of it. But better to test the issue than to tolerate the unregulated distribution of a product that can be lethal when used correctly and that drives up public health costs.
The bill is expected to be approved in the Senate soon and sent to President Obama for his signature. He should sign it promptly and without hesitation.

Robber demands Newport cigarettes at stores

A man with a penchant for Newport cigarettes has been robbing area CVS stores, according to Redford Township police Detective Sgt. Kevin Crittenden.
Just after the CVS at Joy and Telegraph opened about 7:10 a.m. Wednesday, a man walked up to the counter and showed off a short-barrel shotgun before demanding cash and Newport cigarettes, Crittenden said. The robber fled in a silver or gray four-door vehicle, possibly a Ford.
The man, who stole about $100 in cash and 21 cartons of Newports at the Redford store, is believed to have committed similar robberies at CVS stores in Dearborn on Dec. 12 and Detroit on Jan. 8, Crittenden said. In each case, the cigarette of choice has been Newports.
The man is described as being about 5 feet 10 to 6 feet tall with a thin build. He wore a Red Wings hat with fold-down ear flaps and a puffy vest with brown Carhartt overalls.

Ban on Smoking for Top Tobacco State

In many states, Gary Richards would not have been able to light up a cigarette before biting into his meat-lover’s pizza, as he did at Satisfaction Restaurant & Bar this week. But in North Carolina, the nation’s leading tobacco producer, limits on indoor smoking have lagged behind those in much of the country.
That changed on Saturday, when smoking in restaurants and bars was banned by law in the state that produces nearly half of the nation’s tobacco.
“There’s smokers and there’s nonsmokers; we’ve gotten along in the past,” Mr. Richards, 52, said earlier in the week during a premeal smoke at the restaurant. “Why can’t I come in here and have my beer and a couple of slices of pizza and a cigarette?”
The dangers of secondhand smoke to employee health and patron complaints about the smell finally won out when lawmakers approved the ban in 2009.
“This law doesn’t tell anybody they shouldn’t smoke,” said State Representative Hugh Holliman, a lung cancer survivor whose sister died of lung cancer. He led the charge for the law. “It’s saying nonsmokers should have the same right to breathe clean air.”
North Carolina is at least the 29th state to ban smoking in restaurants and the 24th to ban it in bars, according to the American Lung Association.

Long Island Cigarette Dealer Awaits Sentence

A New York Indian reservation smoke shop proprietor who made a fortune supplying untaxed cigarettes to the black market will have to wait to learn his sentence in a racketeering case.
Rodney Morrison was convicted of trafficking in contraband cigarettes on Long Island's Poospatuck Reservation.
A federal judge began a sentencing hearing for Morrison on Thursday morning, but after hours of arguing by the lawyers he adjourned the proceedings to be concluded another day.It could be days or weeks before the court takes up the matter again.
The case has been watched closely by New York's tribes.Reservation shops now supply about a third of all cigarettes sold in the state.
Morrison's case has raised questions about whether that business is legal.

Almost 2.6 million euros’ worth of cigarettes confiscated by customs officers

The customs officers in Constanta (south-east of Bucharest) discovered and confiscated 890 cartons of Marlboro cigarettes (8.5 million cigarettes) that were worth about 2.6 million euros, reads a release of the National Customs Authority.
Taking action on the basis of the risk analysis, the customs officers working with the Customs Office in Constanta checked a number of containers that came from China and were bound to reach Romania as their final destination. They chose a container that, according to the shipment documents, contained 883 parcels with 15,000 kg of footwear, bound for a trading company at Alunis, Mures County (north-west of Bucharest).
But behind a “cover” made up of a few parcels of footwear, there were 425,000 packets of Marlboro cigarettes. The market value of this quantity of cigarettes is about 2.6 million euros.

Smoking decline hits tax revenues

The good news is Hawaii residents are buying fewer cigarettes. The bad news is that the drop is hurting tax revenues.
According to tax collection records, island consumers bought 417 million packs of cigarettes during the first 10 months of the year, a 12 percent drop from the same 10-month period last year.The decline comes as officials hoped recent tobacco-related tax hikes would generate nearly $47 million in added revenue over two years to help balance the state's budget.
Higher tobacco taxes are aimed at driving down demand while increasing income for the state.