The government has to take immediate steps to ensure implementation of the ‘Prohibition of Smoking in Enclosed Places and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Ordinance, 2002′ to check any publication of advertisements of cigarettes in the media, reflecting serious violations of the Ordinance. Sources told Business Recorder here on Sunday that the concerned authorities seem to be unable to enforce the said Ordinance as some advertisements have been reportedly published in print media.

This violation of the ordinance is fully indicative of the fact that the federal government can approve and promulgate an ordinance but lacks the proper mechanism to implement it fully.
The ordinance, titled ‘The Prohibition of Smoking in Enclosed Places and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Ordinance, 2002′, says: ‘Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, no person/company shall advertise tobacco and tobacco products in any media, in any place and any public service vehicle, if such an advertisement is not in accordance with the guidelines prescribed for this purpose by a committee which the Federal government may, by notification in the official Gazette constitute’.
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When contacted, Dr Asad Hafeez, Executive Director, Health Services Academy and Head of Tobacco Control Cell, said that such advertisements by any cigarette manufacturer, etc, is a clear violation of anti-tobacco rules and an initial probe had been started into this act.

He said the government would take action against the unit for this violation.
Khurram Hashmi, National Co-ordinator, Coalition for Tobacco Control in Pakistan, criticised the performance of Tobacco Control Cell for not effectively implementing the ordinance and said that promotional advertisement campaign of cigarettes is a clear violation of government rules and regulations.

The only purpose of this advertisement campaign is to attract youth for smoking, and the government should take strict action against units involved in the violation of anti-smoking rules and regulations.

“We are in contact with senior officials of tobacco control cell and we are hopeful that proper action will be taken against the violators,” he added.
According to the ordinance, “advertisement’ means and includes any notice, circular, wall paper, pamphlet, display on any board, or hoarding , through internet, or any visible representation made by any form of media whether mechanical, electronic, audio, visual or any other technological means of any light, sound, smoke, gas, writing instrument sticker”.
It has been reported that cigarette consumption constitutes the single most important modifiable risk factor for coronary artery disease and the leading preventable cause of death.

Nearly one billion individuals now smoke world-wide.

Smoking has a particularly staggering impact in the Third World: almost one-half billion individuals world-wide will eventually die of smoking-related complications.

Even among non-smokers, it is now recognised that inhaled smoke, whether from passive exposure or from cigar and pipe consumption, also greatly increases coronary risks, sources said.
According to a study conducted in Karachi, the prevalence of tobacco use is 32.7 percent.

The prevalence of smoking in Karachi has not declined in the past few decades and requires attention of researchers to explore smoking-related issues.

The tobacco companies are competing to promote cigarette consumption while it has been increasing by 5 percent annually.

A study, conducted in Peshawar, reported 36 percent and 11 percent smoking among males and females respectively.

And the most popular form was filter-tipped cigarettes, while lung cancer is supposedly the direct cause for deaths in Pakistani males and over 90 percent of such cases are caused directly by the use of tobacco.

A row of eye-level advertisements for an unhealthy, addictive product has some people who’ve spotted them wondering why they’re there. Advertisements for six brands of cigarettes are displayed directly across from the Amboy Road entrance and exit of the Francis School in Great Kills, which also houses the recently relocated Staten Island Montessori School. The signs are posted along a fence and are on the property of the BP gas station.

While the Francis School declined to comment, others had plenty to say about the ads.

Rose Campanelli, an Eltingville resident, noticed the advertisements several weeks ago. She finds the positioning of the placards to be “odd.”

“I saw it once and it bothered me,” she said, noting it was spotted by her when she was heading into the plaza that houses Puglia of Hester Street.

“I find it hard that even the school didn’t make a comment. It’s the first thing the kids see when they enter the school and the last thing they see when they leave the school,” said Ms. Campanelli. She doesn’t have any children who attend the Francis School.

While sitting in the school’s parking lot, one man glanced over and was surprised to see the ads.

“I don’t like seeing that,” he said, noting he didn’t want his name used. “But what can you do?”

Phone calls to the BP gas station were not returned.

The mother of a Montessori student, Josie, called the cigarette ad placement “interesting.”

“I never thought about that being right in the kids’ faces. It’s very alarming,” she said. “For young impressionable kids, that sticks out, and that’s troubling.”

Though the woman admitted she’d never paid much attention to the signs, there’s a good chance the students have.

“We’re all trying to help kids in this generation, so why would they do that? I find it so sad that (the service station) would do that, especially across from the school,” Ms. Campanelli continued. “I find it wrong.”

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Smoking displays will be banned at retail outlets under new laws to be introduced into the Queensland Parliament today. Health Minister Geoff Wilson said the new laws banning point of sale tobacco displays was aimed at reducing the uptake of cigarette smoking, particularly among younger Queenslanders. “Smoking kills an estimated 3,400 Queenslanders every year, with more than 30,450 people admitted to Queensland hospitals each year for smoking-related illnesses,” Mr Wilson said.

“Those are truly shocking statistics and we have to do everything possible to not only help those Queenslanders who smoke kick the habit but prevent our future generations from taking it up.

“Queensland already restricts tobacco displays to a square metre for general retailers and three square metres for specialist tobacconists.

“This new ban imposes even tougher restrictions in a bid to reduce the number of Queenslanders smoking.”

Mr Wilson said Queensla nd had been a nation-leader in this area, implementing some of Australia’s toughest anti-smoking laws.

He said the new laws delivered on the government’s commitment to ban smoking displays, which was a key recommendation of the bipartisan Social Development Committee report on Chronic Diseases in Queensland.

“Banning product displays will further strengthen Queensland’s already tough tobacco laws, after the Bligh Government banned smoking in private vehicles carrying children under 16 last year,” he said.

“These initiatives are aimed at saving people’s lives and stopping the cigarette death toll.

“Restricting retail advertising and promotion of tobacco and other smoking related products has been shown to be an effective strategy.

“There is strong evidence that advertising, display and promotion of tobacco products influences the uptake and maintenance of smoking.

“Research shows that children’s exposure to tobacco displays at point of sale normalises smoking and makes them more likely to start and continue to smoke.

“Retail displays also interfere with smokers’ attempts to quit, tempting them to ‘impulse buy’ at point of sale.

“Smoking is the leading cause of cancer, and the greatest cause of preventable death in the developed world.

“It is not just the Queensland and Australian Governments supporting these measures.

“They are strongly supported by the World Health Organisation and groups like the Cancer Council Queensland, the Heart Foundation and the National Preventative Health Taskforce.”

Heart Foundation CEO, Mr Cameron Prout, said the Heart Foundation welcomed this legislative reform to ban the display of tobacco products.

“Smoking is a major cause of heart attack, stroke and peripheral vascular disease,” he said.

“Research confirms that retail displays predispose children towards smoking and make them more likely to experiment with tobacco products.

“Putting cigarettes out of sight will protect children from tobacco advertising and stop undermining the resolve of smokers who have quit.

“Banning displays is an excellent public health initiative which will not only save lives, but also help reduce smoking related heart disease.”

CEO of Cancer Council Queensland, Professor Jeff Dunn, said the ban on retail displays would help to stem the tragic deaths from tobacco related disease.

“We applaud the Queensland Government for its strong conviction on this issue.

“This legislation responds to the high level of community support to create a Smoke Free Queensland.

“We have every confidence that this progressive new law will reduce the prevalence of smoking, reduce the consumption of cigarettes and reduce tobacco related illness and deaths.

“We are closer than we have ever been to creating a Smoke Free Queensland.”

Argentina has approved a nationwide ban on tobacco advertising and smoking in public places. After years of debate, lawmakers in the lower house of the Argentine Congress overwhelmingly approved the law on Wednesday over the strong opposition of the tobacco industry. In addition to the bans on advertising and smoking in enclosed public spaces, the new law requires manufacturers to put health warnings on cigarette packages.

Argentine health minister Juan Manzur hailed the legislature’s action, saying that “at last” Argentina has a law controlling tobacco use.

The Argentine government estimates that about eight million of its people smoke, nearly a third of its adult population. Tobacco-related diseases are thought to contribute to about 40,000 deaths a year.

In 2006, Uruguay became the first Latin American nation to ban smoking in public places and several other countries in the region have since followed.

He said his ministry has been working on ‘the repeal of the Control of Smoking Act of 1992 and the 2004 amendment.’ Seakgosing said that his ministry has proposed a tobacco control act that will address current problems such as easy accessibility, public smoking, advertising as well as other requirements of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control that Botswana ratified in 2005.
He said that through the act, a levy would be introduced to address the harm to public health that results from tobacco use.

Meanwhile, Bontle Mbongwe, spokesperson for the anti tobacco movement in Botswana has praised the ministry for the development saying it is a step that they have long expected from the government.
She said that they have been strongly advocating for this move especially that most countries have been raising taxes in tobacco products to control its use.
Mbongwe said that research has shown that if taxes in tobacco products are increased their consumption levels get reduced. “If you increase taxes in tobacco products their consumption levels get reduced. They become more expensive and not everybody can afford them, especially our children and the poor,” she said.
“There is a general consensus that every 10 percent increase in real prices of cigarettes will reduce the overall cigarette consumption by approximately three to five percent,” she revealed. She said that this would also reduce the number of young adult smokers by 3.5 percent. “Especially our school going children. Cigarette sticks cost between P1.50 and P1.75 and young people can easily afford this, she said.”
Mbongwe said that they also want the government to start licensing of tobacco products, a practice which would regulate tobacco sales just like alcohol is regulated.
“For example, every kiosk at University of Botswana sells tobacco products than alcohol. This makes it easily accessible and affordable more so that it can be bought as single sticks. This needs to be regulated if the government is to succeed in controlling the use of tobacco products,” she said.

Advertisement of tobacco products in Bulgaria will be strongly restricted, according to the new National Program for Limiting Smoking in 2011-2015, prepared by the Health Ministry. Effective 2011, there will be a ban on the production of any items such as toys or food resembling cigarettes and other tobacco products.

In 2013, there will be a ban on all forms of direct and indirect tobacco advertisement, such as displaying cigarettes and images of them in stores while the sale of tobacco products will be limited to specialized stores only. The same year, measures will be applied to restrict the showing of people smoking in Bulgarian movies, TV series and various broadcasts.

Cigarette manufacturers will be mandated to account for the exact amount of funds used for advertisement, and will not be allowed to sponsor social events. The program will also ban the use of additives aiming at improving the aroma and the taste of cigarettes.

The full ban on smoking in indoor public spaces legislation will be ready by 2012 with the goal to reduce passive smoking as well. Other measures include keeping high cigarette prices and campaigns to teach about the harmful effects of smoking.

The new rules on smoking entered in effect on December 19, 2010. According to these rules, indoor smoking in restaurants, clubs, bars, hotels, railroad stations, airports, malls, offices and schools is allowed only in separate spaces with closing doors.

They said the government wanted to curb the innovative and indirect methods of promoting cigarettes and, therefore, it had planned action against retailers selling cigarettes in violation of the relevant laws. The workshop was jointly organised by the WHO and the ministry of health to disseminate information about Section 7 of the Prohibition of Tobacco and Protection of Non-smokers Health Ordinance 2002 and Article 13 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

A large number of doctors and journalists who participated in the workshop expressed the view that there should be a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.

They were told that tobacco advertising and promotion was defined by the WHO FCTC as “any form of commercial communication, recommendation or action, with the aim, effect or likely effect of promoting a tobacco use either directly or indirectly”.

Dr Minhaj-us-Siraj, the assistant director-general of the Tobacco Control Cell (TCC), briefed the media about the ill-effects of tobacco smoking, and said that according to an estimate about 5,000 people landed in hospitals every day with tobacco-related health problems.

He said that the 2002 law completely restricted smoking at public places like hospitals, schools, parks, hotels, seminars, airports, public transport and other places. It prescribed fines and prison term for violators of the law, he added.

The government had successfully implemented the rule of printing pictorial warning on every cigarette pack and eliminated the designated smoking zones at various institutions and other places. Deadlines were also being given to operators of shisha (tobacco plus flavours) centres in Rawalpindi/Islamabad for the closure of the business. He said a crackdown on violators people was expected to be launched in a month or so.

He said that for the first time in the country, over 122 people had been prosecuted and fined this year for resorting to smoking at public places or public transport vehicles in Mardan, Lahore, Peshawar, Gujranwala and Faisalabad. He said that cantonment boards in Rawalpindi had also imposed a complete ban on shisha parlours within their limits.

Dr Siraj said that the government would soon start a crackdown on retail cigarette sellers for displaying cigarette products on the signboards of their outlets in contravention of the relevant rules.

In reply to a question, he said that although the promotion of cigarettes through the media had decreased considerably, the health ministry had also moved Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority again to ensure elimination of smoking scenes in TV serials, talk shows and movies shown on television.

WHO National Programme Officer for Tobacco Control Shahzad A. Khan said that a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising and promotion could result in a conside-rable reduction in tobacco consumption and this would ultimately save a huge amount of money spent by individuals and government on the treatment of tobacco-caused diseases.

He said that the tobacco industry undertook much more `indirect` advertising than other industries. It included sponsorship of sports or cultural events, displays at sales points, brand stretching (where tobacco brand names are printed on other objects such as caps, umbrellas, etc). “We need to discourage all innovative methods as tobacco is believed to be the cause of six out of eight major diseases in the country,” he remarked.

He said the ratio of young male and female tobacco users had reached two to one, while 18-plus male smokers figured as 32.4 per cent and female smokers as 5.7 per cent.

Dr Qaiser Sajjad, a senior ENT surgeon and member of the Pakistan Medical Association, said that oral cancer and other diseases were on the increase due to tobacco smoking and use of chhalia, gutka, shisha etc.

“There is a need for the media to have a code of conduct with regard to on-screen smoking. Sale of cigarettes within the vicinity of schools, colleges, hospitals and other institutions should not be allowed at any cost,” he stressed.

He, however, remarked that politicians and legislators were required to play their due role in promoting an anti-cigarette culture in the larger interest of the public.

Provincial coordinator for tobacco control progr- amme in Sindh Seerat Shahina also spoke.

The DOJ has released fourteen “corrective statements” that it thinks tobacco companies should have to put in its new advertising campaign. They include such marketing gold as “Here’s the truth: … Smoking kills 1,200 Americans. Every day,” as well as “”For decades, we denied that we controlled the level of nicotine delivered in cigarettes,” and “We control nicotine delivery to create and sustain smokers’ addiction, because that’s how we keep customers coming back.”

But stops just short of, “We kill you for the money.” Did we mention that the DOJ would also like the companies to set up and pay for the campaign?

The suggested statements are part of a twelve-year-old lawsuit against the tobacco industry. U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler approved the proposal for the public record, but still hasn’t decided whether the wording is final or where the print and broadcast ads should be placed. May we request the same advertising company that did those anti-soda ads with the globules of fat pouring into a plastic cup? We sat across one on the C train the other day and couldn’t look away.

Philip Morris USA said a federal appeals court denied review of a trial judge’s decision last year denying class-certification in four separate cases in which smokers sought refunds for “lights” cigarettes they smoked. The Altria Group Inc. (MO) unit said the First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to review a district judge’s Nov. 24 decision related to four cases that were selected as sample cases for a larger group of pending cases across the U.S.

Murray Garnick, an associate general counsel for Altria, said it was “simply is not possible to resolve these claims without determining why an individual smoker decided to purchase ‘Light’ cigarettes.”

Garnick added, “There are numerous individual issues that render a class action unsuitable for resolving this type of case.”

Under the cases in question, the smokers alleged the tobacco company was deceptive in its advertising for light and low-tar cigarettes. They argued Philip Morris used those descriptors to suggest the brands were less harmful than regular cigarettes, even though it knew users would be getting the same level of tar or nicotine from them.