Australian court throws out cigarette plain packaging challenge

Tobacco group have experienced important hold up in their effort to block UK Government strategies to initiate plain packaging for cigarettes, after they misplaced an officially allowable confront to avoid analogous events in Australia.

The overwhelm in Australia will make it more difficult for businesses comprising Imperial Tobacco, Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and British American Tobacco (BAT) to put off Britain from accepting its own hard anti-smoking events.

Under laws that come into effect this December, Australia will become the first country to require cigarettes to be sold in drab, olive packets with graphic health warnings and no logos.
The laws have been tipped to trigger an “olive revolution”, with similar measures being considered in Britain, Canada, New Zealand, China, France, India, South Africa, Norway and Uruguay.
Australia’s High Court yesterday dismissed a challenge by BAT, Imperial Tobacco, Philip Morris and JTI.
The companies claimed that the laws unlawfully extinguished the value of their trademarks without providing compensation.
The court has not yet released its reasons but published its finding and awarded costs against the tobacco companies.
The ruling saw shares in both BAT and Imperial fall nearly 2pc.
The decision was hailed by the Australian government as a “massive victory” which would save lives and help reduce smoking rates. It clears the way for the government to ban all brand marks and logos on cigarette packets from Dec 1.
The packets will feature large graphic health warnings while the brand name will be written in a small generic font.
“This is good news for every Australian parent who worries about their child picking up an addictive and deadly habit,” said Australia’s Attorney-General, Nicola Roxon.
BAT said there was no evidence that plain packaging prevents people from smoking and called for a review of the laws.
The London-listed group also argued that the Australian decision should not impact its case against plain packaging in the UK.
“There are still significant domestic and European Union-based legal obstacles to the introduction of plain packaging in the UK, notwithstanding the Australian High Court decision, which consequently should have no bearing on the UK Department of Health’s consultation on plain packaging,” it said.

Menthol cigarettes and onscreen smoking…not kool

Cigarette smoking continues to be a major cause of preventable illness and death in the United States.
The rate of cigarette smoking has decreased over the last few years in adults, but not for youth and African Americans. According to the surgeon general’s 2012 report, each day in the U.S., 3,800 young people (ages 17 and under) smoke for the first time, and approximately 1,000 become daily smokers.
Among young adults (18-25), the rate of menthol cigarette use has continued to increase, with the highest rates among African Americans. A majority of new African American smokers reportedly smoke menthol cigarettes.
Menthol is an additive that enhances the flavor of tobacco. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded that the cooling and numbing effects produced by menthol reduces the harshness of smoking, which may make quitting more difficult.
In 2009, the Tobacco Control Act banned cigarettes containing certain flavoing, such as clove, fruit and candy, but menthol was not included in the ban. Since the 1960s, tobacco companies have targeted the African American community with menthol cigarette advertising and promotional materials.
We can see such ads today in many Afrocentric magazines, at ethnic music festivals and events and in convenience stores in communities of color. Examples of menthol cigarette brands include Kool, Salem, Newport and Marlboro menthol.
The preference among African American for menthol-flavored cigarettes crosses all socio?demographic and smoking?related categories, whether stratified by income, age, gender, marital status, region of the country, educational level, age of initiation, and length of time smoking.
Another troublesome trend is the increase in onscreen. The surgeon general has found a causal relationship between depictions of smoking in the movies and smoking initiation in youth. Young people who are heavily exposed to onscreen smoking are 2-3 times more likely to begin smoking than youth who are lightly exposed.
Onscreen tobacco use also was on the decline from 2005-2010, but published data for 2011 showed a rebound in tobacco use in youth-rated movies -- more than one-third higher than in 2010.
What can you do to help?
First, if you smoke or use smokeless tobacco, quit. Most states have programs to assist with smoking/tobacco cessation. In North Carolina, QuitlineNC, www.quitlinenc.com, provides free cessation services. QuitCoaching is a program available in different forms, which can be used separately or together, to help tobaccos user kick the habit.
Second, talk to your children about the dangers of smoking. If you smoke, understand that children of tobacco users have higher rates of smoking, have increased incidence of respiratory illnesses and more severe asthma.
Finally, take action. Speak out against the way tobacco companies target the African American community.

In Children’s Hands, E-Cigarettes Can Be Deadly

Poison centers are experiencing a spike in calls concerning children exposed to liquid nicotine, from one call a month in September 2010, to 215 calls a month in February 2014. The new findings are just the latest in increasing skepticism over e-cigarettes' safety

Update: Thursday April 3, 2014 4:00 p.m.
E-cigarettes have been criticized for targeting children, since many brands come in bright colors, and candy and fruit flavors. While some worry about tempting kids with an addictive habit, e-cigs can also be deadly for them.
On Thursday, the CDC released a report indicating a “dramatic” rise in e-cigarette-related calls to U.S. poison centers, from one call a month in September 2010 to 215 calls a month in February 2014. More than half of the calls involved children age five and under, while 42% involved people ages 20 and older. The nicotine in e-cigarette comes in a liquid form, which when ingested can lead to vomiting, nausea, and eye irritation.
“E-cigarette liquids as currently sold are a threat to small children because they are not required to be childproof,” said CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden in a statement. “Use of these products is skyrocketing and these poisonings will continue.”
The study follows a New York Times report about the dangers that “e-liquids” pose, where small amounts can cause vomiting and larger amounts can lead to seizures and even death. “A teaspoon of even highly diluted e-liquid can kill a small child,” according to the Times.
The new findings are just the latest in increasing skepticism over e-cigarettes’ safety. The support for these cigarette alternatives is manifold: people argue they are are healthier than conventional ones because they don’t contain tar and tobacco, that pushing people towards lower spectrum nicotine carriers is ultimately better, and that they may help people kick their conventional smoking habit.
But evidence against them is mounting. Just last month, a small study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine reported that smoking e-cigs doesn’t help people smoking conventional cigarettes quit. Another study found that young people who smoke e-cigarettes are more likely to smoke regular cigarettes as well. Whether e-cigs are a gateway to the real thing remains unclear.
It’s too early for a definitive conclusion on e-cigarettes’ full spectrum of risks and benefits, but the CDC warns that they may be an emerging public health issue. In response to the study and growing concerns over safety, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg pushed senators at a Congressional budget hearing on Thursday to allow the FDA to establish regulation authority over e-cigarettes, Reuters reports. The FDA’s proposed rule is currently being reviewed by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget.