Julia Gillard Stands on Cigarette Plain Packaging

Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she won’t be intimidated by big tobacco after Philip Morris launched legal action to try to force the government to back down on introducing plain packaging for Salem cigarettes. Ms. Gillard said the government was confident it could deliver its reforms and that they would make a difference to the number of people who smoke.

“We’re not going to be intimidated by big tobacco’s tactics, whether they’re political tactics, whether they’re public affairs kind of tactics out in the community or whether they’re legal tactics,” she told ABC radio.

“We’re not taking a backward step. We’ve made the right decision and we’ll see it through.”

Philip Morris has served a notice of claim on the Federal Government stating it intends to pursue legal action over the plain packaging legislation.

The company, which manufactures brands such as Marlboro and Peter Jackson, is seeking damages for the loss in value of its investments in Australia and says that may amount to billions of dollars.

Philip Morris Asia Ltd spokeswoman Anne Edwards said the forced removal of trademarks was a clear violation of the terms of Australia’s bilateral investment treaty with Hong Kong.

“We believe we have a very strong legal case and will be seeking significant financial compensation for the damage to our business,” Ms Edwards said.

“Legal action is not a course we take lightly, but the government has unfortunately left us with no other option.

“The government has consistently ignored the concerns expressed by a broad range of domestic and international stakeholders about the adverse consequences of plain packaging and has failed to demonstrate that the policy will stop people from smoking.”

The notice of claim, served on the government today, marks the start of a mandatory three-month negotiation period.

If that fails, Philip Morris says it will proceed to the next step of arbitration proceedings.

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Merchants Learn Importance of Checking IDs for Beer, Cigarettes

The first line of defense to keep young people from becoming addicted to alcohol and drugs just might be the local grocery store.

A “Merchant’s Roundtable” was held Tuesday at Moundsville’s Grand Vue park, presented by the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition and the Ohio County Substance Abuse Coalition. They are explaining how to make it clear to their customers that they won’t sell beer or cheap cigarettes to juveniles.

To card every customer or only those whose age is questionable is up to each merchant to make the decision.

Merchants know all too well that a 50-year-old buying a pack of cigarettes, who didn’t bring his driver’s license into the store, can become hostile when he’s told, “no ID, no sale.”

But that same 50-year-old might be buying those cigarettes or that beer for an underage person.

The alcohol and drug abuse prevention experts suggest to merchants that by having a clearly posted policy saying they card every alcohol and tobacco customer, can protect them from tirades about being unfair.

According to Susan Oglinsky with the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, a new campaign has been unveiled and it’s called United in Prevention which encourages people to hold up Ids so it can show if it’s red or blue, the kids are underage. If it’s white, then go ahead and sell, Oglinsky added.

They passed out marketing materials which included door signs, stickers, even pins for merchants to wear, saying, “We hold up Ids.” And while some customers will complain, others want to see them do this.

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Reduced smoking saves state money

Ohio once had a model tobacco-prevention and cessation program that helped reduce smoking rates among adults and children in Ohio.Currently, more than one-fifth of Ohio adults smoke. About the same percentage of children smoke and 17 percent use other tobacco products.

The new state budget will destroy Ohio’s program, since it does not fund prevention programs, enforcement of the Smoke Free Workplace Act, or Ohio’s successful Quit line.

Ohio currently collects more than $800 million in cigarette taxes each year. None of that money is invested in tobacco prevention and cessation or enforcement of the Smoke Free Ohio law.

Funding tobacco cessation saves lives and money. Lawmakers should consider making the tax on cigars, snuff and chewing tobacco equal to the tax rate on cigarettes. This could provide funding for tobacco-prevention and cessation programs.

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Barack Obama Smoking a Cigarette

You know that quitting smoking is difficult when even the most powerful man in the world can not stop himself from smoking cigarettes!

Barack Obama Smoking a Cigarette

To his credit, Mr. Obama has apparently not been seen smoking cigarettes for quite a while now, although he acknowledges that not smoking is a daily struggle.

What is certain is that with young children at home and the entire world watching, he sets an example that millions will follow for good or ill. Quit smoking now, Mr. President!

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Most support smoking ban in youth movies

Three-quarters of Ontarians support a ban on smoking in youth-targeted films, a new survey released Tuesday on World No Tobacco Days shows.

“Research shows the more youth see smoking in movies, the more likely they are to start,” said Dr. Rosana Pellizzari, medical officer of health, Peterborough County-City Health Unit, one of the organizations endorsing policy recommendations to remove smoking from youth-rated movies.

“The public agrees that smoking in movies is a serious public health issue, especially as it relates to youth. As tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in Ontario, this issue needs to be addressed,” Pellizzari said.

The survey commissioned by the Ontario Coalition for Smoke-Free Movies says when youth see smoking in films it has a harmful impact on them and encourages them to smoke.

“It is clear that the majority of Ontarians support getting tobacco out of films rated for youth audiences,” said Andrea Kita, co-chairman of the Ontario Coalition for Smoke-Free Movies. “We need change in Ontario to reflect what the public wants — no tobacco use or product placement in movies rated G, PG or 14A.”

Youth exposure to smoking by youth-targeted movies is more prevalent in Canada than in the United States because Canadian film review boards give movies a youth rating more often, the survey says.

“There are more than 300,000 teen smokers in Canada today, and their unnecessary exposure to smoking on screen does influence their decision to smoke,” George Habib, president of the Ontario Lung Association, said.

“Preventing youth uptake of smoking is one of the most important things that we need to do for our young people and it is clear that removing on-screen smoking in youth-rated movies is a key way to do so,” he said.

Throughout Ontario, youth groups are educating peers about how the tobacco industry has been targeting them through smoking in youth-rated movies.

“When Vince Vaughn or Keira Knightly smoke, it influences youth to do the same,” Jordan Alexander, a 17-year-old youth ambassador for smoke-free movies, said.

“These are our role models,” he said. “The tobacco industry has had a history of paying actors to smoke and paying to place its products in movies. Whether we like it or not, this type of marketing is effective and we’re here to ensure youth aren’t recruited through the movies to be the next generation of smokers.”

Ontario’s doctors want people to be aware of the dangers and risks they are taking when they smoke, especially young people.

“We need to make sure people have access to the help and support they need to quit and we need to keep contraband cigarettes out of the hands of youth,” president of the Ontario Medical Association Dr. Stewart Kennedy said.

“Too many young people can get their hands on contraband tobacco,” Kennedy said. “This access to cheap smokes is eroding the progress that we have made in the fight against tobacco illnesses. We need a comprehensive plan to stop contraband in this province.”

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Tobacco companies violate ad norms

In a clear violation of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act 2003, (COPT), a non-governmental organisation, Salaam Bombay has exposed how tobacco brands are indulging in rampant surrogate advertising to promote their product under the guise of selling ‘pan masalas’. A recent survey conducted among 3,000 Mumbaikars revealed that majority of them associated ‘pan masala’ with gutka. The participants of the survey were shown flash cards consisting of pan masala advertisements that are usually seen on billboards and BEST buses across the city.

“Gutka companies are promoting their tobacco products by advertising them as pan masalas. The end users perceive pan masala to be gutkas and our study confirmed that. The section 5 of COPT act, disallows any such advertisement – direct or indirect in nature when it comes to tobacco products,” said Devika Chadda of Salaam Bombay foundation.The foundation has already written to Advertising Council of India (ACI) asking them to take action against such brands for indirectly advertising tobacco products. “We will even take up the matter with the civic body and the BEST and ask them to not allow their property to be vehicles for promoting such products,” said Chadda.

The test
Two groups were selected for the study, which included children (12 to 18 years) and adults (19 to 50 years).
The respondents were exposed to different flash cards of three pan masala brands. 82 per cent of children and 84 per cent of adults responded to the first flash card by saying that it is a gutka whereas 9 per cent children and 7 per cent adults said that it was a pan masala. Similarly, when the flash card of the second brand was shown, 62 per cent children and 71 per cent of adults thought that pan masala was gutka and the figures for the same question for the third brand were 85 per cent for both the groups.

84% Adults responded to the first flash card calling it a gutka

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