Seeks appeal; Feds called a ’senior partner’ in tobacco industry
The federal government – which helped tobacco companies develop low-tar cigarettes in the late 1960s – has asked the Supreme Court of Canada to weigh in on a multibillion-dollar lawsuit against the tobacco industry to recoup health costs related to smoking.

The Justice Department is seeking leave to appeal a December court ruling in the British Columbia Court of Appeal, which exposed the federal government to potential liability by concluding it should be a third-party defendant in the suit, launched by the B.C. government.

The trial, expected to begin next year, is the first of several legal challenges nationwide in which provinces are seeking to recover health costs.

Tobacco manufacturers maintain the government should share responsibility for health costs because Agriculture Canada conducted its own research while regulating the industry, knew of international studies linking smoking and lung cancer, and nonetheless encouraged and aided the industry in developing light and mild brands.

“The fact of the matter is that the federal government is a senior partner in the tobacco industry,” said Eric Gagnon, a spokesman for Imperial Tobacco, one of the manufacturers named in the suit. “We believe it is important for the government to answer, as the tobacco industry will, on its involvement in the development of the industry in Canada.”

The B.C. decision could open up the government to responsibility in other suits against the tobacco industry filed in Ontario and New Brunswick, and pending actions in Quebec and Manitoba.

“The decision would substantially expand the sphere of duties owed by government in its response to public-health risks posed by a commercially supplied product,” the federal government said in its Supreme Court application.

The Canadian Cancer Society said tobacco makers should shoulder the entire blame because companies intentionally suppressed the health hazards of light and mild brands of cigarettes, hiding the information from consumers and the government.

“The tobacco industry’s historic strategy has been to try to blame someone else,” said Rob Cunningham, a cancer society senior policy analyst.

If the Supreme Court takes on the appeal, it will be its second foray into the long-standing legal battle. The court ruled in 2005 that B.C. had the legal right to sue tobacco companies.

The Canadian lawsuits were inspired by American litigation during the 1990s that ended in mass multimillion-dollar settlements.

Montrealgazette

HOUSTON – Celanese Corp. (CE), a Dallas chemical company, is counting on a rebound in cigarette smoking and soda-pop drinking to drive its earnings higher in 2011 and 2012.

As part of its consumer specialty segment, Celanese manufactures a sweetener for soft drinks and a product that is used for cigarettes filters. Its customers include Altria Group Inc. (MO), its Philip Morris International (PM) spin-off, and PepsiCo Corp. (PEP).

“These tend to go into decline later in the cycle. We think that demand has bottomed out,” Dave Weidman, chief executive and chairman of Celanese said in an interview Tuesday. But he was cautious about seeing any improvement for 2010, instead forecasting increases in the next two to three years.

Celanese swung to a small fourth-quarter profit Tuesday and topped analyst expectations. But the consumer specialty segment, what Weidman describes as a ” late-cycle business,” saw a volume decline because of soft demand for cigarettes and soft-drinks in global recession.

In January, Altria, the biggest U.S. tobacco producer, reported about a 11% to 12% decline in cigarette volumes in the fourth quarter and has a cautious outlook for the following year. “The business environment for 2010 is likely to remain challenging as many consumers continue to be under economic pressure based on high unemployment,” Michael Szymanczyk, chairman and chief executive of Altria, said during an earnings conference call Jan. 28. Pepsi and Philip Morris International are scheduled to report quarterly results Thursday.

Celanese has three business segments that manufacture other chemicals used in paints, textiles and medical devices. The company has more than 30 industrial plants in North America, Europe and Asia.

The $4.2 billion company is “aggressively” pursuing several acquisitions that range in size of a few million dollars to just under $500 million in all three of geographic locations, Weidman said. “We like to stay in businesses that are similar to businesses that we have today,” Weidman said. Weidman declined to give a timeline for when any of these deals could close.

Its largest segment by revenue, the acetyl intermediates division, had ” significant volume recovery and margin expansion” in the fourth quarter. Its revenue climbed 13% as the segment returned to profitability.

“Much of the beat came from very strong results in the company’s core acetyl intermediates business from which the company generates over 50% of its revenues,” Hassan Ahmed, an analyst with Alembic Global Advisors in New York, wrote in a note to clients.

Celanese posted earnings of $5 million, or 2 cents a share, compared with a prior-year loss of $155 million, or $1.09 a share.

Excluding impacts such as income-tax gains and provisions, the latest quarter had a 50-cent profit from continuing operations while the year earlier had a 40- cent loss. Revenue rose 7.9% to $1.39 billion on improved demand.

Weidman expects that in the next year Celanese’s earnings per share should increase because the company has closed plants in Europe and Mexico meaning it will have lower taxes and less depreciation to report.

Shares of Celanese rose 40 cents, or 1.4%, to $29.97.

By Susan Daker, Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

Women have more trouble quitting cigarettes because – more than men – they tend to take up smoking to relieve emotional problems, according to a leading medic.

The claim comes after a survey of women smokers by the University of Hong Kong’s school of public health.

Since 2006, the school has offered gender- specific counseling under a “Smoking Cessation Service for Female Smokers.”

A survey of 332 women smokers, with an average age of 35, over six months until October 31 last year found that 26.5 percent quit after going through the program. The figure was slightly higher than previous studies, in which 21.9 percent of females said they had quit smoking after non-gender-specific counseling.

Males chalked up a figure of 28.4 percent.

Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee, head of the department of nursing studies at the university’s Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, said the increase in the success rate may not be very significant.

But she added: “We must still emphasize the importance of the gender-specific nature of this program.

“The craving is a big problem for women because, when they are not happy, they tend to smoke.

“If emotional problems such as with relationships or families do not go away, it will be difficult to quit.”

Although the majority did not quit smoking entirely, 56 percent of the women managed to reduce their consumption, while 12 percent returned to their original consumption levels.

Chan said that, even for those who continued smoking, average daily cigarette consumption decreased from 15.2 to 9.4 and they were better able to resist smoking.

The study also found that the tobacco tax increase last year led to a surge in the number of women who enrolled in the program.

Professor Lam Tai-hing, director of the school of public health, said: “The financial secretary should think about increasing the tax again this coming budget, hopefully by another 10 percent at least.”

He added that pictorial warnings on cigarette packs are too mild and should be revamped to create more impact.

The placing of cigarettes in prominent places to attract buyers in shops should also be banned.

The cessation service will start to explore different methods of counseling, Chan said.

LANSING, Mich. – Last week, the Michigan Legislature approved a statewide smoking ban that contains exemptions for Detroit casinos and cigar bars, the Associated Press reports. Gov. Jennifer Granholm will sign the bill. “It’s a terrific gift to Michigan,” she said.

All bars, restaurants and workplaces will be smoke-free starting next May. Exemptions include the Detroit casinos, tobacco shops, cigar bars, home offices and vehicles. Last year, the Michigan Senate had passed a bill with no exemptions but the House quashed it.

When the governor signs the bill, Michigan will become the 38th state to restrict smoking in public places, said state Sen. Ray Basham, who has been pushing for such a ban for years. “We’ve moved the ball down the court, and even scored a basket,” he said of the passage, adding that he favors a total smoking ban.

The Michigan Licensed Beverage Association opposed the bill because of the potential to put thousands out of work. “It’s our elected officials’ responsibility in this economic climate to pass legislation that helps all Michigan businesses, not just a few select business groups,” said executive director Lance Binoniemi.

In other tobacco news, Taiwan has plans to forbid walking and smoking at the same time in an effort to encourage a healthier and cleaner environment, AFP reports. The ban also would encompass smoking while driving a car or riding a motorbike. In January, Taiwan outlawed smoking in all indoor public places.

“We hope the new rules will prevent pedestrians, motorcycle riders and car drivers from throwing cigarette butts all over the place,” said an administration official. “It’s also for their own safety as smoking while driving is distracting.”

France’s first lady has been ridiculed as a wine-swigging, chain-smoking man- eater in a new episode of The Simpsons called The Devil Wears Nada.

Carla Bruni, wife of president Nicolas Sarkozy, bumps into Homer and his colleague Carl in Paris and promptly throws herself at Carl, declaring: ‘I want to make love, right now.’

In another scene, Homer takes a dig at French cinema, saying: ‘If you fire me, I’ll call president Sarkozy and he’ll be all over you like Truffaut on Hitchcock.’ The cult cartoon has featured figures such as former prime minister Tony Blair and media mogul Rupert Murdoch – but usually with their permission.

The controversial episode was broadcast in the US a week ago and has since become a web sensation in France.

The gags will send international relations to a new low after the cartoon created the insult ‘cheese-eating surrender monkeys’ when France protested against the Iraq war.

By MILES ERWIN, November 23, 2009

Hollywood star Kate Hudson has gained weight as she has started eating more food as a substitute for her habit of smoking.

The ‘200 Cigarettes’ star recently quit her potentially-fatal habit as it was starting to take over her life and says she’s now appreciating things such as good food, as reported.

“It was starting to drive me crazy! I didn’t like the way the car smelt, or my hair and clothes. It takes you away from the family and the things you’re doing. You don’t realize it at the time. Then when you’re done, you go, ‘Wow, I do so much more in a day – including eat.’ Quitting meant eating more,” said Hudson.

The 30-year-old actress also said that the rumours of her being pregnant was due to her sudden increase in weight.

“Then there were rumours in the press saying that I was pregnant. Later somebody said, ‘When did you quit smoking?’ And I was like, ‘Right about the time everybody thought I was pregnant!’,” she said.

Hudson, who is dating baseball star Alex Rodriguez, has taken up salsa as a new hobby because it help maintains her figure now that her appetite has increased.

“I’ve kind of gotten into salsa. It’s hard, though. If you do a full salsa session for an hour, you’ve got to lose an inch. You’re pouring sweat. Salsa is really fun,” she said.

Nov 08, 2009

The number of adults in Malta who smoke is appreciably on the decline but young people, particularly girls, are smoking more, a news conference yesterday was told. The news conference was given to promote World Heart Day, being held on Sunday, when radio and television stations will be running an advert to raise awareness regarding the dangers of cardiovascular diseases.

Health parliamentary secretary Joe Cassar said that not enough people in Malta are knowledgeable enough about the dangers their lifestyles can pose.

“Cardiovascular diseases are still the world’s largest killers, claiming 17.5 million lives a year, even though the risk factors for heart diseases and strokes are well known.

“Recent statistics show that in 2007 in Malta, an estimated 21 per cent of persons who passed away in that year had some form of cardiovascular-related disease or other. The Maltese government is treating this situation extremely seriously, with the investment in sophisticated machinery and advanced equipment in the field of cardiovalvulotomy being one of the highlights of the new Mater Dei hospital.

“However, our wish is not to cure cardiovascular-related diseases but to prevent such illnesses from cropping up in the first place. By increasing awareness throughout and promoting a vibrant educational campaign with school children at the centre of it all, the 21 per cent figure can be significantly reduced,” said Dr Cassar.

Speaking on behalf of the Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Charmaine Gauci said that there are certain factors, contributing to cardiovascular diseases, which are impossible to prevent or change, citing age, gender and family history as prime examples.

“Nevertheless, we constantly encourage the population to adopt healthier lifestyles. Although there are currently 20.3 per cent of adults who are smokers, this is in contrast to last year as the figure was estimated to be around 22.7 per cent. Worryingly though, while the adult smokers have decreased, young people, particularly girls, are smoking more. Little do they know that they are increasing the risk of heart disease in the prime of their life,” said Dr Gauci.

“Stress management, eating at least five servings of fruit and vegetables a day and using less salt and processed foods can also reduce death by cardiovascular disease. Malta has one of the highest rates of child obesity in the world, and we continuously stress the need of at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day for adults, and 60 minutes for children,” she added.

Dr Cassar also took time to address the second food and water borne diseases and zoonoses (FWD) surveillance network conference, which is currently being held at the Corinthia Palace Hotel in Attard.

“Unfortunately in this day and age,” he said, “a lot of food is being processed industrially and the adequate transport facilities have contributed to the globalisation of food. This has increased the possibility of food being contaminated in one way or another, which leads to the outbreak of such diseases.”

Representatives from European Union countries, applicant countries and countries of the European Free Trade Area, as well as representatives from Canada, New Zealand, Japan, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), were also in attendance.

by Scott Grech Independent

The obvious statement “Warning: Smoking can kill you” is brought to you by the United States Congress, telling people things they already knew for more than 200 years. Because of a recently passed law, this warning is just one of nine that must now be prominent on cigarette packaging.

These warnings are part of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which was signed into law on June 22, 2009. The new regulations are designed to deter youths from starting the unhealthy habit of smoking.

The government plans on achieving this goal through warnings printed on the packaging and by banning flavored-tobacco products, such as flavored cigarettes and flavored cigarette rolling paper.

The new warnings must take up “the top 50 percent of the front and rear panels of the package.” And be printed in a contrasting color, so they stand out. Within two years, full-color pictures of the effects of smoking must also be printed on the warning labels. These warning labels will have little effect on the habits of smokers.

Ever since that first year of health class in elementary school, the rhetoric has been pounded into our heads. Smoking is bad for you. Nobody is going to pick up a package of cigarettes and be surprised to find out they are detrimental to your health. Besides, no one actually reads warning labels anyways.

Another major change caused by the new law is a ban on flavored tobacco products. Included in this ban are the popular flavored Swisher Sweets.

Hookahs dodged the ban, despite being worse for you. According to the Center for Disease Control, “a typical one-hour-long hookah smoking session involves inhaling 100-200 times the volume of smoke inhaled from a single cigarette.” Despite what you may have heard, passing smoke through water does not actually remove the toxins.

The idea is that these flavored products mask the actual flavor of smoking tobacco thus encouraging youths to take their first puff. By banning flavored products, the government is punishing those of legal age, who know the risks, want to enjoy a cigarette every now and then.

Simply banning a certain product will not stop kids from smoking. There will always be kids who try smoking, not because it tastes good, but because of peer pressure and curiosity.

Washington smokers already cannot smoke inside public buildings. They are taxed more than $2 for every pack with a bill currently going through the state government, which would raise the tax to over $3 a pack.The government does not tax alcohol to the same extent because the majority of the population drinks, while only 20 percent smoke Now do not get me wrong, I do not support smoking. It is a vile, unhealthy habit. I am supporting the choice every person should have. If I want to smoke a cigarette, it is my choice – not the government’s.

I applaud the government’s efforts to stop kids from smoking, but not when they take away my privileges. Education about the effects of smoking during school has greatly reduced the amount of youth smokers, but these laws will not. They will simply annoy the average American who enjoys his grape Swisher Sweets every now and then.

Justin Rastelli
The Daily Evergreen
10/09/2009

Tobacco company bosses who refuse to take part in a select committee inquiry into the tobacco industry will be named and shamed by Maori Party MP Hone Harawira.

The Maori Affairs committee agreed yesterday to hold an inquiry into the impact of tobacco use on Maori. Mr Harawira, the committee’s deputy chairman, launched a scathing attack on the country’s tobacco executives.

“If they don’t turn up we’ll put their pictures up on the wall so people know who they are.

“To be brutally frank, I’d like to lynch these bastards. This is a war against people who kill New Zealanders . . .”

Mr Harawira said 5000 New Zealanders died annually from smoking-related illnesses, 500 of whom were Maori. Too many had died horrible deaths because they smoked, including his father.

About half of all Maori women and 40 per cent of Maori men smoke – about double the non-Maori rate.

Committe chairman Tau Henare, a smoker, would not comment on whether tobacco should be banned.

Ridding New Zealand of tobacco is the aim of Te Reo Marama (Maori Tobacco Control Advocates). Director Shane Bradbrook said tobacco had “no benefit to anyone”.

“For too long the tobacco industry has hidden in the shadows counting the money it makes off its customers’ addiction.”

The managers of the country’s three leading tobacco companies – British American Tobacco’s Graeme Amey, Imperial Tobacco’s Wayne Merrett and Philip Morris’ Martin Inkster – could not be reached.

But BAT spokeswoman Susan Jones said the country’s biggest tobacco company would participate in the inquiry, although she did not say at what level.

Mr Harawira acknowledged that the industry contributed more than $1.1 billion in tax each year but said he would be happy to forgo that. He hoped cancer patients, their families, health researchers, teachers, tobacco control groups and industry representatives would appear before the committee.

The inquiry will examine the impact of tobacco use on the health, economic, social and cultural wellbeing of Maori, and report to Parliament. Submissions close in January. Prime Minister John Key and Finance Minister Bill English have both supported the inquiry.

© 24/09/2009 Stuff

Subtle branding on cigarette packets is misleading smokers into believing some products are less harmful than others, research suggests.Products branded “smooth”, “silver” or “gold” are generally believed to be healthier and easier to give up, a survey of 1,300 people found.

But when shown plain packs the false beliefs disappeared, University of Nottingham researchers discovered.

EU rules ban any claims that some cigarettes are safer than others.

Participants in the study were shown pairs of cigarette packs and asked to compare what they were like, or what they assumed they would be like, in terms of taste, tar levels, health risk, attractiveness, how easy they would be to give up and how attractive they would be to someone choosing to smoke for the first time.

Plain packaging would prevent tobacco manufacturers from providing consumers with information about products that are legally available in retail outlets
Christopher Ogden, Tobacco Manufacturers’ Association

The results from 800 adult smokers and 500 teenagers, all in the UK, also showed that lighter-coloured packaging led people to believe the cigarettes had a lower tar content or were generally less harmful.

More than half of adults and teenagers reported that among the eight brands they were shown those labelled “smooth” were less harmful than the regular variety.

Marlboro packs with a gold label were rated as having a lower health risk by 53% of adults and easier to quit by 31%, when compared with the Marlboro packs with a red logo.

When shown packs where the branding had been removed, false beliefs about the risk of harm or addiction dropped significantly.

Restrictions

Since 2002 it has been illegal under EU legislation for manufacturers to use trademarks, text or any sign to suggest that one tobacco product is less harmful than another.

Banned phrases include “low tar”, “light” and “mild”.

In the UK, the Liberal Democrats are currently trying to reintroduce an amendment to the Health Bill to further restrict branding and designs on packs.

Writing in the European Journal of Public Health, the researchers said the regulations were failing to remove “potentially misleading” information from cigarettes.

Professor David Hammond, from the Department of Health Studies and Gerontology at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, said: “The truth is that all cigarettes are equally hazardous, regardless of what colour the pack is or what words appear on it.

“These tactics are giving consumers a false sense of reassurance that simply does not exist.”

Christopher Ogden, chief executive of the Tobacco Manufacturers’ Association, said it did not believe proposals for plain packaging were based on sound public policy or compelling evidence.

“Plain packaging would prevent tobacco manufacturers from providing consumers with information about products that are legally available in retail outlets.

“Adult smokers use packaging to identify, obtain information about and choose tobacco products, easily and without confusion.”

He added the evidence in support of mandatory plain packaging was “speculative”.

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said the research showed all tobacco products should be sold in plain packaging.

“That would remove false beliefs about different brands and communicate the message that all cigarettes are dangerous.

“This matter has been discussed by Parliament and there is now a perfect opportunity to include a requirement for plain packaging of tobacco products in the Health Bill.”

Dear Straight Talk: My 17-year-old son just left for the hookah bar. He said this is a popular social activity where you sit around outdoors smoking flavored tobacco from a shared water pipe. He says he’s been going to this club for almost a year.

What exactly is this hookah trend? Isn’t flavored tobacco now illegal? And don’t you have to be 18? He insists it’s no big deal, but I’m worried he will develop a tobacco addiction and start smoking cigarettes.

– Mom in Oroville, Calf.

Liva, 20, Oakland, Calif.: What will soon be illegal are flavored cigarettes, but flavored tobacco (hookah) is totally legal. Yes, you must be 18, but many hookah bars only card the person who buys the hookah, not the friends who attend with that person. People smoke hookah because it’s fun and tastes delicious. I’ve smoked a reasonable amount and am not addicted to nicotine in any form.

Nicole, 19, Arcata, Calif.: I went to hookah bars for years when I was in high school. It was the place to be. Yes, you need to be 18 but most clubs don’t card. I do smoke cigarettes now, perhaps because of these bars. Let your son know that innocent as smoking hookah seems, it can lead to serious cigarette addiction. And even though the smoke is filtered, it still isn’t good for you.

Peter, 22, Monterey, Calif.: Smoking hookah is like taking a mouthful of flavored fog. It’s smoother on the lungs than cigarettes, cigars, or pipe tobacco and I’ve never gotten even buzzed from it. It’s a way to relax and chat with friends.

Brie, 18, Ashland, Ore.: It’s a social thing. I’ve smoked hookah quite a lot and have never smoked a cigarette or had a tobacco craving of any sort.

Ashley, 21, Auburn, Calif.: I already smoke cigarettes so I don’t know if hookah is addicting, but it definitely does not get you high.

Lennon, 22, Fair Oaks, Calif.: I’ve smoked hookah occasionally and have never felt addicted to it. There is a slight high you can achieve by taking several hits in a row, but that’s from lack of oxygen. Hookah is popular because the smoke is filtered and cooled (it goes through ice water like a bong), so you can inhale without feeling an inkling of a cough. However, I’ve stopped smoking it heavily because I wake up feeling hung over.

Mariah, 17, Collinsville, Okla.: I’ve never heard of a hookah bar, but the people I know who smoke from a hookah aren’t smoking tobacco!

Betsy, 21, Durham, N.H.: In New England, owning a hookah pipe is more common than going to a hookah bar. I’ve been to hookah bars a couple of times and judging from the hemp necklaces and dreads, it attracts the same crowd that smokes weed.

Julian, 17, Auburn: I’ve never felt a craving for a cigarette even though I’ve smoked hookah a few times. Because hookah is exotic, it seems less harmful – but it’s not.

Maureen, 17, Redding, Calif.: Hookah bars are the new place to be in college towns and urban areas. Some have non-tobacco hookah for those under 18.

Dear Oroville: The info from the panel is correct. However, to clarify a couple of points: Most hookah lounges do not offer non-tobacco hookah because smoking dried leaf matter (unless that leaf is tobacco) is a tough sell no matter how much candy and flavorings are pounded in.

I can safely bet that your underage son is smoking flavored tobacco. Secondly, despite what most of the panel perceives, smoking hookah is not a safe, non-addictive alternative to cigarettes. Hookah has been smoked for centuries in the Middle East and the same maladies reported with cigarettes abound, including nicotine addiction. Hookah is smooth, tasty – and extremely deceptive. It’s still tobacco with all tobacco’s problems.

Contact the writer: To ask a question or to be a panelist, write to www.StraightTalkForTeens.com or P.O. Box 963, Fair Oaks, Calif., 95628. Lauren Forcella holds a master’s degree in consciousness studies and co-founded the nonprofit Teens-Matter organization in Auburn, Calif.

PHOENIX–With the economy continuing to stall and Americans’ wallets being impacted by more and more taxes, Crown7.com, a leading electric cigarette manufacturer, announced on August 17 it is helping smokers making the switch to a smoking alternative by offering 35% off to those who trade in traditional cigarettes for a Crown7 HYDRO.

In response to global smoking bans and stricter tobacco laws, electric cigarettes have become increasingly popular in replicating the act of smoking, using a nicotine cartridge, a microchip and a water vapor mist. Instead of second-hand smoke, a water vapor mist is dispersed without the effects of second-hand smoke from traditional cigarettes, and it is permissible in all public places where smoking is now banned.

“The Cash for Cigarettes program is helping consumers get their hands on a more affordable option than traditional cigarettes,” said Ron MacDonald, founder and CEO of Crown7. “The best thing about electric cigarettes is a consumer can now smoke anywhere and anytime they wish, including indoors, with an electric cigarette at an affordable price.”

According to Matt Salmon, president of the Electronic Cigarette Association, a Washington, D.C.-based trade group, sales have been brisk, with many former cigarette smokers reporting they no longer need to buy several packs of traditional cigarettes each week, and the e-cigarette industry is on track to make $100 million this year.

“Crown7 is a privately owned company, and we know how hard this economic recession is hitting hard-working Americans across the country,” added MacDonald. “We have a responsibility to our customers, and every smoker impacted by these tough times, to offer an alternative that will add more money to Americans’ wallets with a high quality product.”

During the “Cash for Cigarettes” program the Crown7 HYDRO Kit is $54.95 and refill cartridges (pack of 5) are $9.95.

© Businesswire