Across tobacco country, crops wilt from rain

- Jason Elliott had one of his best stands of burley tobacco growing until the rains started. Five days and seven inches of precipitation later, about a quarter of his crop was ruined, trimming thousands of dollars from his payday when he hauls his leaf to market in a few months. 

Reilly expects cigarette pack challenge

Minister for Health James Reilly has said he expects the tobacco industry to challenge his plans to introduce plain packaging of cigarettes in the courts.

Dr Reilly said that “without a shadow of a doubt” the industry would try to stop the measure, but this only proved how much of an impact it would have on its efforts to recruit new smokers.

Anti-smoking groups welcomed the Government’s plans to introduce plain packaging of tobacco products from next year. However, tobacco manufacturers and retailers claimed the move would boost the sale of illegal cigarettes by international criminal gangs because the standardised packaging would be easier to produce.

Ireland is set to become the first country in Europe, and the second in the world after Australia, to introduce plain packaging after the Cabinet yesterday approved proposals presented by Dr Reilly.

Dr Reilly said the legislation to be prepared later this year was justified by the fact that it would save lives. Over 5,200 people die each year in Ireland from tobacco-related diseases.

“The introduction of standardised packaging will remove the final way for tobacco companies to promote their deadly product in Ireland.” he said. “Cigarette packets will no longer be a mobile advertisement for the tobacco industry.”

Standardised packaging will remove all forms of branding, such as trademarks, logos, colours and graphics. The brand name would be presented in a uniform typeface for all brands and the packs would all be in one plain neutral colour.

Strong evidence
Dr Reilly said there was strong evidence the measure would increase the effectiveness of health warnings, reduce false health beliefs about cigarettes and reduce brand appeal, especially among young people.

Plain packaging was one of a number of measures required to “denormalise” smoking in society, he said. Further initiatives in education and awareness, cessation services and an extension of the workplace smoking ban were also being considered.

The international tobacco industry is supporting a number of countries who are challenging the Australian ban at the World Trade Organisation.

Tobacco smuggling
Retail Ireland said the Government was right to do everything it could to reduce the prevalence of smoking, but warned that the measure would make illegally imported cigarettes more attractive.

It said the health initiative should be matched by greater penalties for tobacco smuggling.

The Irish Cancer Society and the Irish Heart Foundation welcomed the proposed legislation, saying it would make children less likely to start smoking.

Attractive packet design was one of the last ways left for the industry to recruit new smokers, the two organisations said, and this meant the legislation was urgently needed.

Research from the UK has found adults and adolescents perceive cigarettes in plain packs to be less appealing .

In-vehicle smoking ban the healthy answer

It seems unfair that while being driven to sporting activities, second-hand smoke puts children’s health at risk, says Marjory Burns
As parents, we always want what’s best for our children. And no responsible parent would ever encourage their child to smoke cigarettes.
But look around you today as you go about your business, because every day, around 60,000 kids in Scotland breathe in someone else’s tobacco smoke while travelling in a vehicle.
Passive smoking, also called secondhand smoking, presents a serious health risk. It’s estimated to cause approximately 11,000 deaths a year in the UK. Passive smoking has been linked with a 25 per cent increased risk of stroke and coronary heart disease.
As well as these longer term risks, there’s a much more immediate health risk to children. Breathing in secondhand smoke is especially harmful because it increases their risk of a number of significant health problems, including lower respiratory infections, wheezing, asthma, middle ear disease and bacterial meningitis. And it more than doubles the risk of sudden infant death.
Children are also likely to be more vulnerable to the impact of passive smoking than adults. They have quicker respiration rates, smaller airways and less mature immune systems, and are therefore more at risk from exposure to smoke in an enclosed space.
So why should the focus be on preventing smoking where children are present?
Unlike other groups, children are least likely to have a say as to whether they are exposed to passive smoking in a vehicle.
It seems very unfair that while, for instance, they are being driven to activities like football, swimming or dancing, so many of our children have no choice about having their present and future health put at risk through exposure to secondhand smoke.
It’s the view of British Heart Foundation (BHF) Scotland that legislation to protect children from passive smoking in vehicles is the best way forward.
Our vehicles are already well regulated. There are laws to prevent us from using mobile phones while driving, and to make us wear seat belts. We think there should also be a law to stop people from smoking in cars where children are present.
And that’s not just our opinion. Last year, a survey found that 79 per cent of Scottish adults – including 67 per cent of those who smoke – support a ban on smoking in vehicles where there are children under the age of 18.
We would like to see the law reflect that strength of public feeling, and that’s why we are supporting Jim Hume MSP’s proposed Member’s Bill to ban smoking in cars where children are present.
I urge you to read his consultation at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4_MembersBills/Smoking_in_cars_consultation_S4.pdf and if, like us, you want to protect kids from the effects of secondhand smoke, you can help by expressing that support. The more people who respond to the consultation, the more likely the legislation is to be passed.
Similar legislation has been successfully introduced in other parts of the world. Most parts of Australia are covered by laws protecting children from tobacco smoke in cars, and bans have also been implemented in most of Canada and several states in the US.
They’ve been effective too – in Nova Scotia and Ontario, self-reported exposure to passive smoking by children reduced by over a quarter after the legislation was introduced.
While this proposal focuses on the effects of secondhand smoke on young people, it may also encourage the adults they are travelling with to cut down or to quit altogether.
Every year, there are around 13,000 deaths in Scotland that can be attributed to smoking, and more than 56,000 hospital admissions, costing our NHS over £300 million. These are figures that should shock us all.
That’s why BHF Scotland is also working in other ways to reduce the harm that tobacco does in our society. In March every year, our No Smoking Day offers encouragement and support to smokers who want to quit.
We are campaigning for the introduction of standardised “plain” tobacco packaging to reduce the appeal of tobacco and help prevent future generations of young people from taking up smoking. The UK government is dragging its heels on this important issue and, if they don’t introduce standardised tobacco packaging, we want to see the Scottish Government do so.
Over the last decade, Scotland has led the way for the rest of the UK in introducing measures to tackle the damaging effects of tobacco.
At BHF Scotland, we’ll do whatever we can to make that continue. Because coronary heart disease is still Scotland’s single biggest killer. And the most important thing anyone can do to improve their own heart health, and protect the heart health of their children, is to stop smoking – or to not start at all.

Smoking ban could expand across Irving

Melvin Lamene III, owner of Po' Melvin's, placed a nonsmoking sanction on his restaurant in January. The city of Irving's Health Board Committee has drafted a proposal to change the city's current smoking ordinance to prohibit smoking in bars, sports cafes, private clubs, patios, at the Irving Convention Center and more.

When smokers dining at Po’ Melvin’s want to light up, owner Melvin Lemane gives them a bucket.
The owner’s nonsmoking policy, enacted earlier this year, has forced his crowd of smokers to puff outside with the buckets for collecting cigarette butts.
“We aren’t the first ones to go nonsmoking,” said

Cigarette Smoking Guide

Terminology

What do the numbers mean?

The numbers like "100's" and "120's" refer to the length of the tobacco rod in millimeters.

What is the difference between menthol and... whatever they call non-menthol cigarettes?

The other kind of cigarettes are called 'non-menthol' or regular. The difference is menthol cigarettes have a major non-tobacco additive that make them minty tasting. Very few people enjoy switching from one type to the other... but I do.

Menthol, and Regular... is there anything else?

You bet there is! The next major 'flavor' is Clove. You know cloves... the spice they put on hams - well, turns out they can be mixed with tobacco too! Some brands are extremely strong. Djarium Black is not something one should smoke while driving... or walking. Find a nice place to sit down first. Seriously, you'll thank me.
Most known menthol cigarettes are Kiss Menthol cigarettes.

Menthol, Regular, and Clove... I got it.

Wait there are tons more! Most are self-explanatory; cherry, chocolate, orange mint, mango, et al. One good one worth explaining is Perique. The only brand I know that uses this is American Spirit. It has a quite different taste that I describe as "vaguely cucumber-y... in a good way".

Does filter/non-filter make a difference?

Oh MY Yes! Non-filter cigarettes come in short stubby packs, and don't have a filter end. You can light either end - I choose the end that looks most cohesive to stick in my mouth. Non-filter cigarettes are a completely different smoking experience. They are very easy to inhale from (no resistance from a filter). It is almost as easy as breathing through a straw. The amount of actual smoke you get is much higher (none is absorbed by the filter). If you are just starting - DO NOT start on non-filter cigarettes. Try one after you get a few packs down. Non-filters have tar and nicotine levels 30-45% higher than their filter counterparts.

What about Lights, Mediums, Ultra Lights, and all that?

I'm not sure exactly how lower tar and nicotine levels are produced, but I suspect it has to do with the filter. Lights typically have 50-70% the level of nicoine, Ultras have about 30%.

Why would I want Lights? Aren't I just getting less smokey goodness?

Some people find "full flavored" to be too harsh. Other people think they are doing something 'good' for themselves. Most of the time people will just smoke more Lights, or inhale deeper to get the nicotine levels they want. Buying lights is like getting a Big Mac with a Diet Coke. If you like the taste of Diet Coke; Good for you! But the meal is still fattening.

Altria Group Inc plans to introduce an electronic cigarette

Altria Group Inc. (MO), the largest seller of tobacco in the U.S., plans to introduce an electronic cigarette this year, chasing smaller rivals as demand for traditional smokes declines.
The electronic cigarette will be sold in an undisclosed market starting in the second half of the year, Richmond, Virginia-based Altria said today in a statement. The company plans to discuss the plans further in a presentation in June.

Chief Executive Officer Martin Barrington is trying to catch up to smaller rivals such as closely held NJOY and Lorillard Inc. (LO), which says its blu eCigs brand controls more than 40 percent of the U.S. market. The push comes after Altria’s first-quarter U.S. sales volume tumbled 5.2 percent, with top-selling Marlboro slipping 5.5 percent.
Altria “should be able to use its significant resources to quickly establish itself as a significant player given its dominant sales force and retail coverage,” Christopher Growe, a Stifel Financial Corp. analyst in St. Louis, said today in a note. He recommends buying the shares.
Altria rose 1.2 percent to $35.94 at the close in New York. The shares have advanced 14 percent this year, compared with an 11 percent gain for the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.
Altria may eventually acquire an electronic cigarette company, similar to how it entered the smokeless tobacco industry by buying snuff maker UST Inc. in 2009, said Kenneth Shea, a Bloomberg Industries analyst in Skillman, New Jersey.

Acquisition Route

“It certainly has the financial flexibility to go the acquisition route,” Shea said by telephone. The company had cash and cash equivalents of $3.78 billion as of March 31, up from $2.9 billion on Dec. 31.
Barrington declined to comment on the conference call today whether Altria was considering a takeover, saying the company doesn’t speculate on potential acquisitions. He also declined to discuss whether the company may be able to use its current brands on electronic cigarettes and whether the company may advertise them on television.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is evaluating how to regulate e-cigarettes. The agency’s rules will dictate how Altria markets the product, Barrington said.
Altria today also said first-quarter net income rose 16 percent to $1.39 billion, or 69 cents a share, from $1.2 billion, or 59 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding some items, profit was 54 cents a share, topping analysts’ average estimate of 53 cents. Revenue slipped 2.1 percent to $5.53 billion.

Displacing Cigarettes

Lorillard CEO Murray Kessler told analysts yesterday the company estimates that electronic cigarette sales displaced consumption of about 600 million cigarettes in the first quarter. That translates to an annual rate of about 2.4 billion cigarettes, accounting for about 1 percent of the U.S. market, according to Shea.
Along with Altria’s decline, first-quarter cigarette shipments also slid at Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based Reynolds and Greensboro, North Carolina-based Lorillard.