The government of Saskatchewan has reaffirmed its commitment to reducing tobacco use in the province along with helping those trying to quit. The pledge comes during National Non-Smoking Week. “National Non-Smoking Week provides an opportunity to recognize tobacco reduction efforts undertaken by the Ministry of Health and provincial tobacco reduction stakeholders,” stated Health Minister Don McMorris. “We have introduced important legislation to reduce smoking and the harmful effects of environmental tobacco smoke, and we continue to support cessation.”

One piece of legislation makes it illegal to smoke in a vehicle with children under the age of 16. Smoking is also banned on school grounds in the province.

The government also added two smoking cessation prescription drugs – Champix and Zyban – to the provincial drug plan last year.

An estimated 720 people in Saskatchewan die each year from lung diseases caused by smoking.

Read it on Global News: Government looking to reduce tobacco use in province

It’s reported Premier Alison Redford would have the support of most Albertans if she raises tobacco taxes, according to a new poll. An online survey by Ipsos Reid, which questioned 809 Albertans between Dec. 20 and 26, found 70 per cent of respondents support a $2-per-pack tax hike on cigarette prices if the proceeds are used to reduce tobacco use and promote healthy living, says the Herald. Not answered, of course, is what would the result be if the question was: Do you support a $2-per-pack tax increase on cigarettes if the cash is wasted?

Clearly the government wouldn’t use the extra millions of dollars a year trying to wean smokers off their guilty indulgence. The money would be collected and burned up just like any other dollar. Just like gas taxes aren’t spent on promoting public transit and liquor taxes aren’t spent on discouraging people from enjoying a drink after work, cigarette taxes are simply a source of revenue — a necessary one to a large extent. God help us if people stop smoking. Where would the lost revenue come from? So don’t expect the Alberta government to pump every dollar it gets from higher cigarette taxes into stop-smoking initiatives, as noble an initiative as it would be.

The government needs the money, of course. It’s got all sorts of services to provide and must look after dedicated public servants, such as the city’s own Lindsay Blackett. He’ll have spent a full four years doing the bidding of voters, and after choosing not to seek re-election this spring, he’ll receive just $183,000 as a transition allowance. When you know where the money is going, you don’t mind paying higher taxes.

California’s wrangle with tobacco taxes is back in a familiar mix that voters have confronted since 1988 – cigarette makers on one side, health advocates on the other. But now there’s a new dimension: The economy. Several tax-increase proposals – including one by the governor to generate $7 billion annually for the shaky state budget – are aimed at the November 2012 ballot. Thus far, none have qualified. Negotiations led by the governor’s office are under way to consolidate them or pare them back, on the assumption that recession-weary voters may not be inclined to approve billions of dollars in multiple packages of new taxes. Already on the ballot is an $11.1 billion borrowing for water projects statewide.

But the first statewide tax hike that voters will consider next year will come five months earlier, in June, when they decide whether to approve a $1-a-pack boost on cigarettes to provide money – perhaps $855 million the first year – for cancer research. If the tax is approved, it will bring the per-pack levy to $1.87, in addition to commensurate increases on other tobacco products. There also would be a distribution tax on inventories of about $2 per pack.
Phillip Morris USA, which played a major role in opposing tobacco taxes in the past in California, is bankrolling virtually the entire opposition campaign, which has thus far collected some $2.6 million, including $2.1 million in four contributions alone since August.

Supporters of the proposed tax, who also figured in the battle over the earlier levies, are led by the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and the American Lung Association. The three groups have accounted for all but one of the campaign’s top 20 donations, reflecting some 90 percent of the total $616,000 collected thus far.
Thirteen years ago, voters approved a 50-cent increase on cigarettes; a decade earlier, in 1988, they approved Proposition 99, a 25-cent hike, and over time a 10 percent increase was set aside for the state’s General Fund and a 2 percent increase provided money for cancer research. Cigarettes and other tobacco products also carry sales, use and excise taxes.

Under the latest proposal, 60 percent of the new money would go to grants for researching cures for tobacco-linked illnesses and 15 percent would be used to build and lease research facilities. Of the remaining 25 percent, 20 percent would go to stop-smoking and prevention programs run by the state Public Health Department and the state Department of Education.

Of the remaining 5 percent, law enforcement would get 3 percent and the balance would go to help administer the program through a new nine-member committee.
For those looking for new money for the beleaguered program, the tobacco tax offers hundreds of millions of new dollars. But there is uncertainty about how much money actually will be raised, in part because the higher the tax traditionally drives a reduction in consumption.

In 2010, California Healthline researchers reported an 8.1 percent drop in cigarette consumption between 2008 and 2009, down to 972 million packs. Twenty years earlier, Californians consumed some 2.5 billion packs.

The state Public Health Department also has reported a sharp drop in tobacco sales to minors since 1995. The number is based on a retailer violation rate of 37 percent in 1995 compared with 5.6 percent rate last year.

And while voters generally have favored taxing cigarettes and other tobacco products, they haven’t favored the kinds of huge increases often sought by anti-tobacco activists. In November 2006, for example, voters handily rejected a $2.60-per-pack tax increase.

Singapore is keeping a close eye on a development in Australia in which tobacco companies are banned from displaying their distinctive colours, brand designs and corporate logos on cigarette packs. Australia is the first country in the world to introduce such plain packaging requirements, which tobacco companies have challenged on grounds of trademark rights infringement, said Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang in Parliament on Monday.

He was replying to Dr Janil Puthucheary (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) who was concerned that Singapore’s strict tobacco control measures could be at risk as a result of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade negotiations, given the challenge the Australian government is facing on its tobacco regulation.

The TPP is being negotiated among the United States, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

The University of Arizona’s network of hospitals an clinics is going completely smoke-free — outdoors as well as inside — beginning Jan. 1. The UA Health Network’s new tobacco-free policy affects the University of Arizona Medical Center – University Campus (that’s UMC to those not used to the new name), the University of Arizona Medical Center – South Campus and dozens of clinics across Tucson and Southern Arizona. Although smoking has been prohibited inside the hospitals for many years, smoking was permitted in designated outside areas. These outdoor shelters will be removed by Jan. 1, UAMC’s Katie Riley said in a press release.

To ease the transition to a tobacco-free environment, The University of Arizona Health Network is offering free smoking-cessation treatment to its nearly 7,000 employees and to their dependents, Riley said.

Patients will receive counseling and medications to control their nicotine cravings, and visitors to the hospitals who smoke will be offered free nicotine-replacement gum.

“It’s all about creating an environment of wellness” John Marques, chief human resources officer for the Health Network, said in the release. “We are a health-care institution and it’s clear that smoking and smoking-related illnesses are among the leading causes of death in this country. It makes sense for us to promote a healthy, tobacco-free environment for our staff, patients and their families.”

“We recognize that this new policy may be hard on some patients and family members who smoke, especially those who are hospitalized here for long stretches of time,” Marques said. “Our intention is to be as supportive as we can while maintaining a totally tobacco-free environment.”

Employees who smoke may enroll for free in the Quit & Win Tobacco Free Living Program through the University of Arizona Department of Family and Community Medicine.
The program is a seven-session, one-on-one program that starts with a meeting with a physician to review the smoker’s health and tobacco history and to develop a personalized quit plan. The first visit includes a physical exam and lab tests. The Health Network also will provide customized cessation medications at no charge to employees and their dependents who participate in Quit & Win.

Tobacco growers breathed a sigh of relief as they returned to their crops after the much-awaited announcement of tobacco support price. Sentiments of hesitation and uncertainty about the returns raced amongst growers, which hampered the finalising of tobacco contracts between farmers and the companies. The announcement is expected every year towards the end of October. However, CY11 saw a delay of over a month as the authorities were striving hard to reach a price with the consensus of all stakeholders – the farmers, tobacco exporting and manufacturing companies, and the Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB).

The minimum support price of Rs117/kg Virginia tobacco which is the most commonly produced type of tobacco in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, saw an increase of about 13 percent compared to last year.

It is meant to provide relief primarily to the farmers against the low side fluctuations in price.

.

But is this price enough? Firstly, the announcement had a disappointing effect to some extent as the prices were below the expected Rs200-250 per kg.

Though the support price this year is higher than last year, and has registered a growth of 13 percent, the increase is insufficient to absorb the rising cost of raw material, inputs and technology.

A second damper to the positive effects of tobacco support price is the strong advice of PTB to the farmers to cultivate only the recommended variety.

Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa accounts for 98.9 percent of total tobacco crop production in Pakistan and 80 percent of the yield is of non-recommended variety (NRV).

PTB has also urged the growers to not cultivate any crop without entering into a contract with the tobacco exporting and manufacturing company.

This is primarily to create a balance between supply and demand.

This is one issue that the industry has been facing as farmers do not enter into contracts with the companies and produce excess supply leading to depressed prices.

In order to induce farmers to grow the recommended hybrid variety amid the rising cost of raw materials and input, prices heftier that these would be much appreciated.

While the market waits to see the real effects of the new support price, it seems that a higher price is the only way to stop the farmers from producing NRV as companies continue to enter into sales contract with the farmers.

You want to quit smoking. You have heard that you will feel better and that you will be taking care of your health. You also know that quitting is not always easy. However, like anything it is a choice. A Southmont Jr. High School student has this to say about tobacco and how it affects relationships. She is writing from the heart. Here is Madison Wickholm’s letter.

Dear Mackenzie, I’ve known you for awhile now… You’ve given me the chance to baby-sit your kids and we have grown to have a strong relationship. If you would happen to die because of tobacco, I would miss you dearly. You are like my second Mom; I would do anything for you and you would do anything for me. You are one of my best friends. Your little kids, your family, me, and everyone who knows you would miss you a great deal if you died because of cigarettes.
If you keep smoking, really bad things will occur or start to happen. A couple of things that might happen are shortness of breath, cardiovascular disease, dizziness, colds, cancer, and even death. This habit is very deadly because it has so many deadly chemicals. Smoking is very addictive because of the nicotine used in it! Nicotine is very addictive and poisonous. It is a stimulant and a very powerful drug. Even if you think this isn’t hurting you, it’s hurting those around you. Infants and toddlers are hospitalized everyday because of secondhand smoke. Do they deserve that?
There is also the cost of cigarettes. If you quit smoking, you could have extra money every week. The average price for one pack is roughly about $5. You could save at least $35 a week if you stopped smoking. In a year’s time, this would save you $1,820. That is a lot of money that you could use for your kids.
The image that smoking gives is not one that anyone really wants. Maybe you’re a stressed out Mom, accountant, business woman, or teacher. You’re not allowed to smoke at work, so what do you do? You come home and smoke a lot of cigarettes to calm your nerves. The truth is that it’s been proven that smoking doesn’t make you any calmer. Some of the things you get with smoking are yellow teeth, droopy eyes, and that smoke smell. Also, your kids see you smoking and want to try it. For teens, smoking can lead to illegal drugs, and bad drinking habits.
Tobacco is a bad habit. I want to help you. When people tell you that you need to quit smoking, it doesn’t mean they are trying to make you perfect. It means they just want to help you fix your bad habit. Would you really buy a product if it said on the package: will cause heart attacks, stroke, bad breath, cancer and death!
I will help you get through the tough times and be there to distract you or encourage you not to smoke. I am a friend; I want to be there for you!
Madison Wickholm, 7 th grader, Southmont Jr. High School
Qutting smoking is probably the best thing you will ever do for your health. While quitting isn’t easy, more than 46 million Americans have done it and so can you! Call the Quit Smart Counselor right here in Montgomery County from 9 AM until 9 PM every weekday at 376-5832. Pick your quit day and get ready for a new smoke-free you!

New cigarette safety standards have been introduced in an effort to cut the number of people killed in house fires. The new regulations mean that each cigarette sold in the EU must meet a reduced ignition propensity (RIP) requirement. One of the most significant requirements being that a cigarette paper must have special bands down its length so that once the cigarette has been lit, it will go out if it is not actively smoked. The change has been welcomed by safety campaigners and anti-smoking groups.

The Department for Communities and Local Government reported that around 2,800 fires in the UK were caused by smoking materials in 2008, 101 people died and 932 were injured in smoking related accidents.

It is hoped that the new regulations would prevent many of these smoking related accidents and fatalities.

Martin Dockrell from Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) said: “Cigarettes are without doubt the most dangerous consumer product on earth – they kill 50% of people who use them. Finland has already introduced RIP cigarettes – last year the number of smoking-related fire deaths there fell 40%. You have to ask yourself why the tobacco companies resisted this change for so long. This simple change will dramatically reduce the number of household fires.”

Councillor Susan Hall from The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority’s Community Safety Committee said; “Cigarette fires are a killer, destroying lives and properties across the country every day. These new safety standards amount to an all-out attack on the single biggest cause of fire deaths in the country. But people still need to take care. Never smoke in bed and always dispose of cigarettes carefully.”

The London Fire Brigade has campaigned since 2005 to get such measures put in place.

Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo has refused to revise the tobacco excise rate, which will be applied as of January 1 next year. He said that businesses were considered before making the decision and determining the excise. The 15 – 16 percent rate increase was made based on the tobacco excise implementation road map. “We hope everyone understands that we must protect the public’s health and this takes commitment from all parties,” he said.

Agus said the 10 percent cigarette excise increase was the most effective measure to achieve these goals. The 16 percent increase will be applied to the second category of handmade clove cigarettes. “But there may not be a cigarette company in this category,” he added.

Indonesian Cigarette Industry Forum (Formasi) executive Heri Susianto, called on the government to postpone the new tobacco excise rate. “We also ask that the excise be lowered,” he said after a hearing with the finance commission.