Liberia Enforces Public Smoking Ban

Liberia has begun implementing legislation passed in 2008 that prohibits smoking in buses, restaurants, workplaces, and other public places. The ban also prohibits those under the age of 18 from buying or using tobacco products.

The ban is part of efforts to check increased rates of tobacco use and the attendant health concerns and costs.

Global public health experts say it remains a challenge to educate Africans about the risks of secondhand smoke, which contains dangerous compounds like tar, benzene and carbon monoxide. Secondhand smoke has been linked to cancer, low birth weight and chronic lung-related illnesses, particularly in children.

"An example of this would be people who are suffering asthma," says said Liberian public health expert William Roland. "Someone suffering from asthma is sitting near someone who is smoking, and that person is going to have what we call hyper-secretion, a hyper-sensitivity to the smoke [that] produce more mucus in their respiratory tract that will cause pulmonary obstruction."

Though rates of tobacco use in sub-Saharan Africa remain relatively low, health experts say they are climbing faster than anywhere else in the world.

Africa is what tobacco industry heavyweights call a growing market. Public health experts say it could be the site of a "pandemic" of smoking-related illnesses, such as heart attacks and cancer. Experts warn that these diseases, though preventable, could cripple Africa's already weak and under-resourced healthcare systems.

The Global Smokefree Partnership, which includes the American Cancer Society, says tobacco use in more than half of the African countries could double by 2021 if governments do not take swift action, such as banning public smoking and levying higher taxes on cigarettes to make them more expensive.

Liberia joins a handful of African countries, including South Africa, Kenya and Niger, that have passed public smoking bans in the past decade, though degrees of enforcement vary.

Some restaurant owners in the capital, Monrovia, worry that the smoking ban will hurt business. Others like Larry Togba say it will help.

"Most of my customers complain about other customers smoking in the restaurant," says Togba. "Even if I lose some of my customers for this, I hope the government will enforce this law."

Smokers like Tarnue Varnie in Monrovia, however, are less than pleased.

"This is a serious violation of our rights [and] I totally disagree that smoking in public will cause health hazard," he says. "This is a habit that we can't easily put aside and I think the government needs to be concentrating on other critical issues instead of talking about public smoking."

The Liberian National Police are enforcing the smoking ban, and businesses or other public institutions caught in violation face fines of $10,000 to $25,000. Individuals found smoking in restricted areas or facilitating the purchase of tobacco products by minors face 2nd degree misdemeanor charges and fines of approximately $400.

Smoking ban in Boise bars, parks looms

More than 600 cities across the country, including El Paso, Texas; Corvallis, Ore; and New York City already ban smoking in bars.
Boise may follow suit if proposed Smoke Free Air Ordinances are approved.
The ordinances will be on the table Tuesday at a City Council work session. If passed, they will add new restrictions to state laws that already ban smoking in public areas like restaurants, elevators and most workplaces. The entire Boise State campus is smoke-free.
Along with bars, the ordinances would prohibit smoking in other places where people work and gather, including home-based businesses and tobacco shops.
The city says public sentiment is on its side.
A Boise City 2010 Citizen Survey found that approximately 70 percent of Boise residents agree the city should ban smoking in all indoor public places, including bars.
Others disagree.
“People come in, ask if they can smoke, sit down, and read a magazine,” said Stan Minder. The owner of Hannifin’s Cigar Shop, a city institution for more than a century, isn’t a smoker himself. But he wants his customers to be able to enjoy their conversations and tobacco.
“So many places have banned smoking already,” Minder said, adding that customers have to be 18 to come through his door. “When people come into a smoke shop, they know what they’re coming into.”
People love the old-time cigar-box scent of Hannifin’s, he said.
Some local bars, like Pengilly’s in Downtown Boise and the Crescent Bar on the Boise Bench, are ahead of the curve and have gone smoke-free voluntarily.
Customers smoked their last cigarette inside the Crescent in August. Owner Butch Morrison said he’s been anticipating a smoke ban for a long time.
Local anti-smoking advocates have worked for a ban in bars for several years. Council members Elaine Clegg and Alan Shealy got the council to start the process for developing a smoke-free ordinance back in December.
“Pretty soon, you get to the point that people won’t go out if you keep restricting things they want to do. But it’s kind of like you can’t fight City Hall,” said Morrison. “And we wanted to be part of the solution.”
The smoke ban hasn’t hurt his business. Fewer smokers mean more people come to the bar to order food, he said.
Smoking is still allowed on the Crescent’s outdoor patio — and would be OK under the new ordinance, which allows for smoking on privately owned outdoor patios designated for those 21 and older.
Places like bowling alleys, with separate, designated areas for inside smoking, would be out of luck.
Other bars are joining Hannifin’s side and are staunchly against the ban. It would hurt their ambiance, they say.
“People know that when they come to the 44, it’s a smoky bar,” said Jody Ciancia. She’s tended bar at the 44 Club on State Street for seven years.
She estimates that about 80 percent of the bar’s regular customers are smokers. She smokes and doesn’t like the idea of bar patrons having to stand outside in the winter to enjoy their cigarettes.
“Smoke is what makes the 44. A little, tiny, dark bar that’s been here forever,” said Ciancia.
Clegg and Shealy say they both grew up in families with smokers and suffered ill effects from secondhand smoke.
Clegg cited a recent study that shows the effects of secondhand smoke are more dangerous than previously thought.
“Safe workers are our primary focus,” she said.
Shealy said the economic costs of smoking are dire for Idahoans. The Centers for Disease Control estimate that the annual health care costs in Idaho directly caused by smoking total $319 million a year.
Enforcement of the proposed ordinances would rely more on compliance than on issuing tickets, said city spokesman Adam Park.
For example, if someone lights up in a bar, is asked to put out his cigarette and does, or leaves, he won’t be ticketed.
In cases where violators are ticketed, they’ll face a $69 fine.
Employers who knowingly permit smoking in prohibited areas would be fined $119.
The proposed ordinances also would extend the smoking ban to city parks and the Greenbelt. Fifty-three percent of respondents to the city’s 2010 survey were in favor of that idea.

California Program Collects $1.6 Million in Internet Cigarette Taxes

A program in California is collecting state excise taxes and use taxes from people who purchase untaxed tobacco products via out-of-state Internet, mail or telephone sales.

Internet cigarette sellers are required to turn information over to the state about who is buying cigarettes from them. While the state has been sending invoices to those purchasers "for some time," for fiscal year 2010 to 2011, the State Board of Equalization (BOE) issued 1,723 billings resulting in $1.6 million in revenue. The previous year, BOE issued 3,077 billings, resulting in $232,424 in revenue.

Anita Gore, spokesperson for the BOE, told Tobacco E-News that it "beefed up efforts" in 2005 and brought on more staff to help with a backlog of invoices that arrived from the out-of-state retailers.

"People are quite often surprised when they get a bill," she said. In fact, a recent article in the Contra Costa Times, documented one Internet customer who received a bill for $1,398 from the BOE for back taxes and penalties on over 100 cartons purchased between 2007 and 2008. He had purchased the cigarettes on the Internet, because they were "substantially cheaper." But he told the paper that he "got caught" and would pay the tax.

"You know that when you go to a store and make a purchase, you pay both sales tax and excise tax," Gore said. "If you make those purchases online, you most likely know you're getting away without paying it—and that it is due. It's that old adage: If something looks too good to be true, it probably is."

22nd Century Delivers Proprietary Research Cigarettes for U.S. Government Order

Century Group, Inc. XXII -6.25% , a company focused on smoking cessation and tobacco harm reduction products, announced today that the company has shipped more than 9 million SPECTRUM(R) research cigarettes. SPECTRUM(R) was developed by 22nd Century for the U.S. government and is strictly for independent research purposes. SPECTRUM(R) will not be sold as a commercial cigarette in the U.S.

The SPECTRUM(R) product line essentially consists of a series of cigarette styles that have a fixed "tar" yield but varying nicotine yields over a 35-fold range--from very low to high. Altogether, SPECTRUM(R) features 24 styles, in both regular and menthol versions, with 8 levels of nicotine in its tobacco. By far, the most prevalent style of SPECTRUM(R) produced for researchers is the very low nicotine (VLN) version, which has 97% less nicotine than conventional "light" cigarettes.

As the only company in the world able to produce VLN tobacco products, 22nd Century was chosen to supply its proprietary SPECTRUM(R) research cigarettes as a subcontractor under a 5-year federal government contract. Previously, 22nd Century's management met with independent researchers and officials from National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to discuss and finalize certain design features of these research Wont cigarettes.

"Working with these researchers and officials from federal public health agencies has been a terrific experience. Throughout the process, the investigators provided 22nd Century input on their research objectives and shared insights into what types of cigarettes would best facilitate their independent studies," stated Joseph Pandolfino, founder and chief executive officer of 22nd Century.

Dozens of research studies will be conducted with SPECTRUM(R). The research will include: (i) smoking cessation studies, (ii) exposure studies comparing how different nicotine levels in cigarettes affect smoking behavior and exposure to smoke toxins, and (iii) studies to determine whether there is a threshold nicotine level in cigarettes which does not produce dependence. Many of these studies would be very difficult, if not impossible, to conduct without SPECTRUM(R).

Mr. Pandolfino added, "22nd Century is pleased that SPECTRUM(R) will be used to provide answers to important research questions likely to affect tobacco public policy for years to come. I am optimistic that the results of these studies will be applied to reduce the harm caused by smoking--the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. and the world, according to the CDC and the World Health Organization."

Major retailers hit with new cigarette and alcohol tax

The proposal — condemned by large business organisations — follows the failed ''Tesco Tax'' the SNP attempted to include in this year's budget.

Mr Swinney said the new tax was ''fair and proportionate'' and a vital revenue-raising measure given a backdrop of a real-terms reduction in the budget of £1.6 billion between this year and 2014-15.

He estimates £110 million will be generated in the next three years by imposing the levy through a business rates supplement on premises with a rateable value above £300,000 that sell tobacco and alcohol.

He confirmed a further one-year freeze on public sector pay — including the wages of ministers.

And he admitted that pension employee contributions will have to be raised for teachers, NHS, police and fire schemes despite his party's objection to the UK Government measure.

Mr Swinney told MSPs his review fell at a ''defining moment'' against the backdrop of ''savage reductions'' from Westminster.

But he said the new parliamentary majority allowed a ''decisive shift'' to preventative spending measures, which will see the state intervening earlier in social issues.

Explicitly linking the move to the new business tax, he added: ''Scotland's health and social problems associated with alcohol and tobacco use are well documented and are something we are firmly committed to addressing.

''These problems affect not only the health of the population, but create additional burdens on policing, local authorities and the NHS.''

But Ian Shearer, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, attacked the tax, saying: ''This ... is a blatant fundraising exercise which is illogical and discriminatory.''

However, it was welcomed by Andy Willox, of the Federation of Small Businesses, who said: ''Moves to make large out-of-town retailers pay a more proportionate level of rates will be welcomed by many of our members on the high street.''

Mr Swinney said ''tough choices'' were needed to balance the books, calling for further savings in public services.

Confirming the public sector pay freeze for the coming year, he hoped it would be the last before ''modest increases.''

Any employee earning less than £21,000 will continue to receive at least a £250 rise in their salary.

Mr Swinney also confirmed the measure of switching more than £750 million from the Scottish resource budget to the capital budget in an attempt to stimulate economic growth.

Labour's finance spokesman Richard Baker said: ''If councils are to meet the costs of the SNP's pledges, it will mean more council workers losing their jobs, further cuts in service and the evidence of the last parliament is that education and social work budgets will be particularly badly hit.''

Conservative finance spokesman Gavin Brown said the SNP was failing to ''match rhetoric with reality,'' while Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie defended the spending decisions taken by the UK Government.

Health Advocates Propose Raising MO Cigarette Tax

It's an issue that gets people on both sides fired up. Should Missouri raise its cigarette tax? Voters may soon get another chance to weigh in as the proposal could make it on the ballot for the November 2012 general election.

Missouri currently has the lowest cigarette tax in the nation. It's something health advocates want to change by raising the tax by 80 cents a pack.

"It's people's choice to smoke", said Jeremy Pierce of Jackson.

With the proposed increase, the cigarette tax could jump from 17 cents to 97 cents.

"That's ridiculous," said Pierce. "They want to charge us more for something we've been doing for years."

Many smokers cross the state line to buy Vogue cigarettes like Lawrence Jackson from Anna.

"In Illinois they increased the tax and were supposed to use money for certain things and haven't done it", said Jackson.

If voters approve this initiative, reportedly 50-percent of the money generated would go to elementary and secondary education.

30-percent would go to colleges and universities to train healthcare workers, and 20-percent would go toward tobacco prevention and programs to help people quit smoking.

"If they use the tax increase for what they say it's for I'm all for it," said Gail Gant of Marble Hill." I don't smoke, but I'm all for it."

According to the American Cancer Society, Missouri spends about $2 billion a year on healthcare linked to smoking.

The American Cancer Society also says bout 21-percent of Missourians smoke. Health advocates predict that number will drop if it costs more to light up.

"In every state that has ever introduced this kind of legislation has seen a decrease in the number of youth who start smoking," said Sheri House-Community Manager/Health Initiative American Cancer Society.

In a state where similar measures have failed in the past, once again it's up to voters.

"The first one to jump on is the smokers and it's not fair," said Lawrence Jackson.

"If they don't want to pay it, don't smoke," said Gail Gant.

Voters took up this issue back in 2002 and 2006.

Both times it was pretty close in Cape Girardeau County.

In 2002 on Proposition A in Cape County, 9, 761 people voted yes and 12, 290 voted no.

In 2006 on Amendment 3 in Cape County, 12, 989 voted yes and 14, 981 voted no.

If approved, the tax hike is expected to generate about $308 million a year in new revenue.

According to Sheri House with the American Cancer Society, the language in the proposition will need to be approved by the Secretary of State. House says that is something that could take up to 30 days. After approved, health advocates supporting this measure would begin gathering signatures.

Hospital Will Not Hire Those Who Use Tobacco Products

Administrators at a hospital in Searcy say you can't light up and work for them. Effective October 1, the White County Medical Center will not hire people who smoke or use tobacco products. Current employees will be grandfathered in under the new policy.

This change is in an effort for all employees to adopt a more healthy lifestyle. Not only is tobacco products not allowed, but cafeteria menu items are also changing.

Brenda Engle, the Director of Health Works at WCMC says by doing this, they are hoping to address the two biggest issues, smoking, and obesity. "As a health care facility we believe this is the right thing for us to do for our employees"

She along with other administrators have been working to make the atmosphere around the hospital a healthier one. About 200 employees use tobacco.

"For me I'm allergic to smoke, and it bothers me when I'm near someone who smokes. I can't be around them. so it's going to be positive change for me. I know for some it will be negative but we're trying to embrace it and it's all for a healthy change for our hospital", says Cassandra Feltrop, Executive Director of the hospital Foundation.

The hospital already conducts random drug testing on their associates. After October 1, a nicotine screening will be added. So if a new hire uses tobacco in the privacy of their own home or is using a patch or gum to kick the habit and tests positively, Feltrop says they will lose their job. "They will be terminated. After that date, the policy states they will be terminated from the hospital. We will no longer hire smoking associates."

The cafeteria is being revamped too. Fresh, new, healthier food choices will be offered including a fruit bar. All in an effort to help their employees live a more healthier lifestyle.

Call to bar alcohol and tobacco from TPP

Trans Pacific Partnership negotiators have been told to exclude alcohol and tobacco from any agreement.

The executive vice-president of the American Medical Association (AMA) James Madara wrote to US trade representative Ron Kirk urging the exclusion of tobacco and alcohol products from all provisions of TPP and any other free trade agreement.

“Removing trade barriers may be a desirable objective when the products being traded are beneficial, but tobacco is not a beneficial product,” Mr Madara said.

“Cigarettes are the only legally available consumer product that kills through its intended normal use.”

The letter cited longstanding AMA policy that “international trade agreements recognise that health and public health concerns take priority over commercial interests, and that trade negotiations be conducted in a transparent manner and with full attention to health concerns and participation by the public health community’’.

The exclusion would prevent actions like that of cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris, which has sued the governments of Uruguay and Australia for their tobacco control policies.

It would also mean intellectual property rules would not apply to tobacco and alcohol trademarks, and governments would not be required to reduce their current tariffs on imports, Professor Jane Kelsey, associate dean from the Auckland University law school said. Prof Kelsey was at the TPP negotiations in Chicago.

Oral problems trigger tobacco use

On World Oral Health Day here's a startling revelation.

Oral health problems could serve as a trigger leading people to take to tobacco consumption. A recent study shows that while tobacco consumption causes oral health problems, it also works the other way round.

“The objective of the study was to discover if oral health related problems like toothache, ulcers, mobility of teeth, sensitivity of teeth and bad breath lead to tobacco use among individuals,” said Dr Mubeen, Professor and Head, Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Government Dental College and Research Institute (GDCRI).

The study was done by GDCRI in association with the Department of Community Medicine, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) as part of the project Quit Tobacco India, to identify the various causes that serve as triggers to tobacco addiction.

“We found that significant numbers of patients started or increased the habit of tobacco use, particularly the smokeless form, due to oral problems. Patients tend to either chew the product or pack the area with tobacco to achieve relief from pain,” said Dr Riyaz Basha, associate professor, community medicine, BMCRI.

Many of those in the study claimed that that tobacco consumption distracted them from their oral health problem or gave relief from pain.

“Most of them tried tobacco products on the suggestion of friends and relatives to reduce the pain. It was also observed that many patients who used tobacco products for relief from oral problems, continued the habit even when they were relived of the pain, which suggests that they were addicted to the tobacco products,” said Dr Jigna V. Raja, one of the investigators involved in this study.

She said that this study was an eye-opener for the team because they realised that people with oral health problems are vulnerable to getting addicted to tobacco. “So, we are planning to include anti-tobacco counselling sessions for all oral health patients because we know that they are prone to acquiring this addiction,” added Dr Jigna.

While it is a fact that tobacco addiction leads to oral, and of course other, health problems, this study proves that the other way round also happens and is common amongst many patients.